Steadfast
by Bard Linn
Summary: An alternate universe of Gabriel Blessing's In Flight. "We promised to stand beside you. Do not push us away now." [Diverges after chapter 38, Rin, Saber, Shirou centric.]
1. Chapter 1

**Most important author notes of the entire story. Please read!**

This is a different kind of project from what we usually write, though Linn's often done fanfiction of existing fic. We'll be completely honest: We were not happy with how In Flight handled Rin and Saber, and their relationship with Shirou. Since Gabriel Blessing has given permission for derivative fic of his work before, we are trying our hand at our own idea of how the Rin-Saber arc could have gone. Several things to be aware of with this story.

1. We are huge Rin and Saber fans. There will be lots of them in this story. If you do not like them, this is not the story for you.

2. We are trying very hard to keep the Sekirei crew in character, but we haven't watched or read Sekirei itself. If you see something that seems really out of line or contradicts that canon, let us know. If possible, we'll adjust. Thanks to Tenrou29 and SatireSwift for offering to be character betas for us! We are also trying to develop their characters some, and are putting them in different situations they've never been in, so they may start edging away from their canon representations.

3. This fic is IF compliant through the end of chapter 38. Some of the material in later chapters will be used, but a good portion of it will be ignored, particularly chapters 39-41. While it is not our intention to bash characters or In Flight itself, we will be countering some of Gabriel Blessing's plot and characterization, because it doesn't make sense to us. If this idea makes you uncomfortable, please do not read the fic. We want people to enjoy the story, not be upset by it.

4. We're going to try to merge some aspects of IF!Shirou's characterization with canonical UBW!Shirou, so this may not be exactly the Shirou of In Flight.

5. We are doing our best to remember everything that happened in IF up until 38 and stay true to it. We're also attempting to keep the forms of address the same. If you see something really off, let us know. There's a lot of information to keep track of.

6. We are far past slice of life here. We are on to pies and cakes of life. If this does not appeal to you, this story is not for you either. While I'm sure there will be some fighting in the future, our focus is on the relationships between Rin, Saber, Shirou, and Shirou's Sekirei.

7. How this will end is somewhat up in the air. It may depend on what happens in the final chapters of In Flight itself. We do have an ending in mind, but if Shirou's group ends up going with the 'run with the Sekirei' plan (which we're betting against right now) it'll have to change, more likely than not.

If this still sounds like it would interest you, please read on! This starts at the beginning of chapter 39, Monday evening.

Disclaimer: Sekirei and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Sakurako Gokurakuin and her associates. Fate/stay night and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Type-Moon and its associates. The story "In Flight" is written by Gabriel Blessing. No financial gain is intended or made by this story.

* * *

I stared, looking at the bristling women in front of me. This couldn't be happening. For Rin and Saber to be here was strange enough, but for them to have already encountered my flock… There was no way this could end well.

"Saber. Rin." I swallowed. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't think that's a conversation to have with so many other people about, Emiya-kun," Rin replied in a sugary-sweet tone that made me wince. She was beyond mad, then. She was enraged. She never called me Emiya-kun anymore unless I was in trouble or she was teasing me.

"I trust them," I insisted. My flock knew about magecraft, as well as many other of my secrets. They could sit in on whatever conversation I had with my former lovers — though to be fair, Rin didn't know who or what the other women in the room were, much less what they knew.

"Some things are best discussed privately, Shirou." Saber's voice was cool and distant, much like it had been when I had first met her. It seemed I'd managed to anger her just as much as I had Rin.

"…right." I capitulated, seeing the determined expressions on both of their faces. "Asama-san, I have the feeling this may take some time…"

Miya nodded in understanding. "I will handle dinner, Emiya-san."

I hesitated for a moment, unsure where I wanted to take them. On one hand, a public room wouldn't allow us the privacy Rin and Saber wanted, but I wasn't too keen on the idea of taking them to my room either. It would probably be the best option, though, since my workshop had been destroyed. "We'll be up in my room. I don't know how long we'll be, so go ahead and have dinner without us." I could always cook more if I needed to.

"Are you sure, Shirou?" Homura asked. Her body, as well as those of the rest of my flock, was tense, clearly ready to leap to my defense.

"They're right. This is really just between the three of us." And talking alone would hopefully keep a fight from breaking out in the middle of the inn. I turned, our two visitors falling in step behind me.

"Exactly what do you think you're doing?" Rin snapped suddenly.

I looked over my shoulder in surprise and saw Akitsu following us closely. "Akitsu, I'll be fine," I reassured her, and I believed it. "Please stay and have dinner with the others."

"…Yes, Ashikabi-sama." She didn't sound happy with the order, but returned to her seat as we left the room. I took my former girlfriends up to my room and slid the door closed behind us, fetching a few cushions before settling on the floor.

"Well. I can't say I expected to find you in this situation." Rin wasted no time in snapping at me, crossing her arms over her chest as she took a seat. "Here we come to find you to bring you home, and you've gone and gotten yourself new lovers. Not what I expected of you at all, Emiya-kun."

I winced. "It's kind of complicated." Seeking to change the subject, I repeated my earlier question. "Why are you here?"

"'Complicated'? I don't see how." Rin's glare sharpened. "To answer your question, though, I managed, at significant expense and with a number of favors, to get your Sealing Designation put into my care. Research on your case will be done under my supervision alone."

I stared at her — I never would have thought it possible — and shook my head slowly. Rin really was better at manipulating people than I ever would be. "That's… unbelievable."

"Not really," she said bluntly. "What's unbelievable is finding out our boyfriend went and got himself a harem! I never thought you'd be the type to cheat, Shirou!"

'Boyfriend'? My brow furrowed. "But we broke up—"

Rin exploded. "_No, we didn't_!" I reeled back in shock as she rose up on her knees to lean over me, shaking with rage. "I spent the last year trying to find a way for you to come home. I promised you I would! And Saber promised to come to your side. Did you really think we'd given up on you? You— you _idiot_!" She paused, her anger briefly overwhelming her ability to speak. "As if we'd give up on you so easily!"

"We chose you a year ago, Shirou," Saber said firmly. She was still sitting calmly beside Rin, but her eyes had narrowed, her gaze resolute. Where Rin's anger burned white-hot, Saber's was as cold as ice. I felt my shoulder slump a bit under her chilly gaze. "You refused to allow us to accompany you, but our choice did not change. We agreed that if changing your Sealing Designation was impossible, we would find you regardless and stand by your side."

"I can't believe you'd think we'd just sit in the Clock Tower and twiddle our thumbs, content to let you run around with a price on your head!" Rin continued to fume. "We spent three years with you! Exactly what part of our time together made you think you meant so little to us that we'd let you go because you were in trouble?"

I stared disbelievingly at the two women who had been such a huge part of my life and tried to shake the feeling that I'd make a big mistake. I almost couldn't comprehend it. I had never thought they'd go so far, and honestly the fact that they had made me feel uncomfortable. They shouldn't have tried to sacrifice so much for me.

I didn't deserve it.

"I… I see." I honestly didn't know what else to say. I took a breath and let it out slowly, feeling incredibly guilty. Had I known that they were going to come back for me, would I have allowed myself to care for my flock the way I did? I wasn't sure. On the one hand, I loved Saber and Rin; on the other, I had winged four Sekirei without knowing the true nature of the bond, and it wouldn't have been right to reject them outright because of my ignorance. I really had thought my relationship with Rin and Saber was over, and that was part of the reason I'd allowed myself to move on, but looking at it now I couldn't see that decision as anything but failing to believe in them and the promises they had made me. "I'm sorry." The words sounded weak and stupid even to my ears, but it was the best I could manage.

"You should be." Rin took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. She settled back down onto her cushion. Her face clearly still angry, but her explosive rage was contained, for now. "You have a lot to make up for, Shirou, so you'd better be extra nice to us for a while. And just _wait_ until we get back to London-"

I winced a little, already knowing how badly they'd take what was coming next, but I went ahead and said it anyway. "I can't leave." Not at this point, anyway. Trying to do so without MBI distracted would be too dangerous. Even if Rin and Saber could get through the checkpoints, there was no way I'd be allowed to escape so easily, much less with my flock.

Though I had the sinking feeling neither Rin nor Saber intended for them to come with us.

"_Why not?_" Rin hissed, losing her hold on her temper again.

"Shirou," said Saber, "what would prevent you from returning to London with us? I cannot believe you would refuse over anything trivial." A little of her self-imposed aloofness faded. One of her hands smoothed the fabric of her skirt, a sign of unease she rarely let herself display. She seemed to pick up that there was something more going on.

I sighed. "Well, um, I got involved in another battle royal."

They stared at me, my words apparently briefly shocking Rin out of her anger. "…Only you, Shirou. Only you." Rin shook her head. "Well. In that case, we'll just have to help you. Again."

"You're staying?" The words escaped me before I could even think about them, but… well, honestly, mixing my past lovers with my Sekirei seemed like a sure recipe for disaster.

"Weren't you listening to me?" Rin snapped again. "I put way too much work into getting control of your Sealing Designation to just leave you here. I am going to be owing people favors for _years_. Besides, I won't go back without you."

I thought about that for a moment, coming to a realization that made my stomach sink. While I didn't know exactly what had happened after I left, it only made sense that Rin, my teacher, would have been closely questioned as a potential accomplice in my research. If, after everything she'd gone through to gain control of my case, she allowed me to escape, the Association would assume she'd been involved all along. That alone would be excuse enough to slap a Sealing Designation on her, giving them free rein to study Saber. Rin didn't have enough political clout with the higher-ups of the Clock Tower to be able to protect herself from such a fate, being both young and Asian. If this had happened maybe a decade from now things might've been different, but as it stood now, she had two options: return to London with me or face exile and a life on the run.

I wouldn't let that happen. Rin had dreamed of studying at the Clock Tower for years. I wasn't about to let my problems hold her back.

"Then we'll have to find a way for you to go back without that being a problem." I paused, thinking hard. It would be difficult. They'd need an excuse that the Association couldn't argue with, something that could be turned and used against them. "What if I refused to come with you and beat you in combat?"

Rin and Saber looked at me in amazement, and then Rin lost it, laughing hysterically. I stared at her as she doubled over, gasping for breath, and Saber shook her head, frowning slightly. "While I agree that the idea is inconceivable, Rin, it is not necessary to laugh that hard."

I reflexively straightened, feeling a little insulted. Yes, the idea was a bit extreme — Saber and Rin were both incredibly skilled in their respective areas, and had helped me refine my arts and knew my abilities better than anyone — but we had been out of contact for a year. They didn't know the effect the Sekirei had had on my circuits. Not only that, but I_ had _beaten a Servant before. Even if Gilgamesh was pretty much my natural enemy, he'd been more powerful than Saber was now as a familiar.

Rin wiped at her eyes, her shoulders still shaking. "Maybe, but oh man, I needed that." She straightened up again, managing to calm herself with effort. "Beyond the fact that the very thought of you beating Saber in a fight is ridiculous, there's another problem with that idea." Her face was totally serious now. "Assuming we could convince them we didn't throw the fight, your Sealing Designation would become a top priority. You can't expect them to ignore someone who managed to beat their teacher and a _former Servant_ in combat, can you?"

I froze. I hadn't considered that. Yes, Saber wasn't a Servant anymore, but she was still a highly skilled swordswoman. I knew that the odds of me beating them were minuscule, but there was still a chance. If I did manage it, though — if I became the Enforcers' number-one priority…

I suppressed a shiver and tried to strengthen my resolve. It didn't matter. Rin deserved the chance to go back to the Tower. I was already hunted. I wouldn't drag her and Saber down with me. It was bad enough my flock would have to follow me into danger, more likely than not, but I could save these two at least. "We're going to be on the move soon anyway," I said, avoiding Rin's question. "There're these things called the Jinki that we have to hide from MBI—"

"Beyond the danger to you, Shirou," Saber interrupted, "Rin's position is greatly at risk as well. She bargained for your case. If she returns without you for whatever reason, her reputation will take a grievous blow. Her word and abilities will come into question, and all of her current alliances will suffer."

Damn. There was nothing I could do there. The Clock Tower was as much a political organization as it was an academic one, perhaps more so. I had no power there, but Rin had been working on alliances and gathering favors from the day she had arrived. I knew the situation with me had been used against her even before I'd received the Sealing Designation. For her to become even more of a social outcast, to be laughed at as a failure… I could never wish that on her.

But still… "Maybe you could be a bit more forthcoming about my abilities, make it sound like I surprised you with them?" I suggested. There had to a way to make this work. The Clock Tower didn't know my true capabilities. Even when they had issued me a Sealing Designation, it had been on only the barest traces of illegal research. In fact, it was possible that if Rin had had more support (or the Einzberns a little less), the entire thing might have been forgotten after I was cleared of killing the Einzbern heir. Breaking into my workshop to get at my research had been very shaky ground for them in the first place, considering the precedent it set. Only the fact I wasn't a member of the Association had made it even possible. If I'd had a more powerful sponsor it would never have happened.

"Shirou!" Rin looked appalled. "I am _not_ selling you out like that! You're good," she admitted grudgingly, glancing away, "but you can't handle the best the Clock Tower has, not by yourself. Sooner or later they'd catch you and kill you, or worse."

I winced. The fact my opponents underestimated me had already saved my life once. The Fraga had thought I was an apprentice and had treated Miya as the greater threat. While that was also true, she had been willing to show her trump card way too easily. If they knew what I was actually capable of, their tactics would be geared towards my abilities.

I had honestly been unbelievably lucky so far.

"You're right," I finally admitted, sighing. No, that plan wouldn't work, even if it had been a long shot in the first place.

"Hmph." Usually me giving in on an issue that was a point of contention was enough to get Rin calmed down and happy for at least a little while, but now she crossed her arms again, giving me a sour look. "You sure seem awfully eager to get rid of us, in any case. Are you really so happy with our replacements?"

"Th— they're not replacements!" I protested.

"Oh, really?" Rin's glare was unforgiving. "Why else would you want to get rid of us so badly?"

"I just want you to be happy!" All I had done since we'd arrived in London was complicate their lives. They both deserved better.

"How are we supposed to be happy without you, you idiot?" Leaning forward, Rin poked me in the chest. "In case you've forgotten, we. Love. You!" Each word was punctuated with another jab of her finger. "Why is it so hard for you to accept that?" I flinched, and her eyes turned sad. "Shirou… I know it's not easy, but try to remember what you mean to Saber. She stayed in this time for you."

"And I do not regret it," Saber added softly.

"A-and you mean a lot to me too." Rin flushed a little, but she met my eyes squarely. "Try to remember that, too." Her hand settled against my chest, right over my heart. Beneath my shirt lay the scar from Lancer's attack, a scar that had only been able to form because of the kindness of the woman touching me. "Don't let your distortion keep you from doing what you want. Your happiness is important to us."

I couldn't say anything to that. I tried, I really did, but sometimes it was hard to remember that what I wanted was important to them as well.

So I didn't answer her. Instead, I pulled her close and slipped an arm around her waist, tipping her head up and kissing her. Her hand tightened in my shirt as she kissed me back, almost agonizingly slow and sweet. It felt so good to touch her again…

We finally broke the kiss, and Rin gazed into my eyes for a long moment. "Saber, come over here and kiss the idiot, please."

With the ghost of a smile on her lips, Saber moved forward. The moment she touched me, Avalon shivered within me, almost as if sighing in welcome at its true master's return. Her mouth was warm, and her kiss just as sweet and soft as Rin's. My free arm wrapped around Saber's waist automatically, and Rin's encircled us both, holding onto us even after we finally sat back. It was an incredibly peaceful moment, all the more shocking for the tension that had just been there. I realized then how much I still missed them both. My flock had become very dear to me, but my relationship with them just wasn't the same as my relationship with Rin and Saber. They were my partners in a different way that I couldn't describe. The feeling of their arms around me again allowed some part of me that I hadn't even realized was tense to relax.

"I can't believe you found so many new girlfriends in a year, Shirou." Rin sighed, burying her head in my shoulder. "I never pegged you to be that smooth."

Considering that Rin had been the one who orchestrated the beginning of our mutual relationship with Saber, I supposed she wasn't exactly off base there. "It's complicated," I said lamely.

Rin rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. "You keep saying that. Can't you give us a summary?" She pulled away from me and Saber, so I reluctantly let them go, and we all rearranged ourselves on our cushions.

I thought for a minute. "Well, they're a new Type, called Sekirei, that bond with humans. They're being used by a technology company called MBI in something called the Sekirei Plan to determine the best person to possess all eight of the Jinki, which apparently have extreme destructive potential. I can't understand them because they're completely alien." I knew they both would understand the significance of that last part.

"…okay, maybe we need something more detailed than that." Rin frowned. "We should have brought tea with us. Give us the long version."

"I'm not sure where to start," I admitted.

"The beginning is usually a good place," Saber commented sagely. "How did you come to be in Shin Tokyo?"

"Well, I was just planning on passing through, but I ended up meeting my birth mother at the airport by sheer coincidence."

"You have family here?" Rin looked surprised. "I never thought…"

"Neither did I." Honestly, my birth family had been something I'd long ago stopped thinking about. Kiritsugu was my father, and that was all I'd needed. Takami was a complicated situation. I had bid her goodbye at our last meeting, but I couldn't help but regret it. It had been odd having a mother for the first time that I could consciously remember, but at the same time, she was an interesting person, and the way she had cared about me had been novel but not unpleasant.

I was going to miss her.

"So that's why you stayed here." Rin nodded thoughtfully. "How did you meet them, those women downstairs?"

"Well, I met Akitsu in a park. She was alone, dressed in a lab coat with blood on her. I ended up helping her by taking her home. Homura and Musubi I met on the street. Kuu and Tsukiumi were both being attacked by other Ashikabi — people who've bonded with Sekirei," I added, seeing their confusion "—who were trying to wing them by force. Kazehana moved in here and ended up reacting to me."

"Trying to 'wing' them? What does that mean?" Rin asked, looking curious.

I couldn't help but smile. That was Rin all over: she wouldn't let go of a new puzzle until she knew how it worked or grew bored of it, and it took a _lot_ for her to get bored of such things. "I'm told a Sekirei reacts to a person who can be their Ashikabi. They can then make a prana contract, and they fight other Sekirei in this Plan."

"It sounds a great deal like a Master-Servant bond," Rin mused, "but with fewer problems with having more than one."

"That's what I thought at first, but…" I swallowed. This was the awkward part, but they needed to know the truth. "They tell me the bond means the Sekirei loves their Ashikabi."

"So that's why they're all so attached to you." Rin nodded to herself. "A familiar bond, but intended to be lifelong." Her mouth twisted at that last part.

"Shirou." Saber was looking extremely concerned. "Does that mean you formed a prana contract with the child as well?"

Rin's eyes went wide, and they both looked at me in utter horror. "Tell me you didn't perform a Tantric ritual with a little girl," Rin demanded, her voice cold, "because if you did—"

"No! It was a kiss! Winging is just a kiss!" I quickly defended myself, and they both relaxed slightly. "If I'd known what it really meant, I wouldn't have done it in the first place."

Rin closed her eyes and tilted her head back, as if asking for patience. "Let me get this straight. You got into a prana contract without knowing what it really was?" She opened her eyes, glaring at me again. "I thought I taught you better than that!"

I winced, knowing this wasn't going to reflect well on Homura, but I needed to be honest with them. "Homura told me it allowed the Sekirei to control and fully utilize their powers."

"And not about the romantic bond?" Rin's voice was flat, but her eyes were livid — and Saber's face showed a cold anger I'd only rarely seen before.

"He was kind of catching fire at the time," I said hastily. Rin's expression was bringing back memories of a chase around school, running from her rage-fueled magecraft, and I really did _not_ want to reprise that here at Izumo House. While I was sure Miya would calm them down eventually, I knew there'd be property damage before then, and I really didn't want to cause her more problems with that.

"He could have told you lat- wait, 'he'?" Rin's anger faded as she started to smirk. "Shirou, you have a _boyfriend _too?"

I swallowed hard. I had never wanted her to find out that little secret. "Um… not anymore?"

"Oh? What happened to him, then?" Rin's smirk had lessened slightly, and she seemed to have calmed down even more. I don't know if she thought I'd parted ways with him or what, but…

I looked away. "Actually, he's a girl now," I mumbled.

The dismayed look returned to Rin and Saber's faces. "I can't possibly have heard that right," Rin said. "You didn't just say he's a girl now, did you?" She sounded skeptical, and frankly I couldn't blame her. _I_ wouldn't have believed it either, if I hadn't witnessed it.

"He, um, changed because of my preferences." The words were hard to force out. I hated the fact, and the very idea still bothered me more than I could say.

"From what you have said, Shirou," Saber said, her voice cool, "you have been trapped into at least two bonds without honor." Her hands fisted in her skirt. "Why have you not terminated them?"

That alone told me just how deeply Saber had been affected by my story. She loathed Rule Breaker for forcing her from my side and making her serve a master who had nearly killed me. Even if it had turned out to be a blessing in disguise in the end — had Saber remained my Servant, there was no way I could've supported her after the Grail War, and so Rule Breaker could be said to have given the three of us our time together — the events that cursed dagger had caused weren't something any of us were happy about.

"I thought about it," I admitted, "but I wasn't sure what it would do to them." To be fair, I had only really considered using Rule Breaker after the situation with Matsu's snooping, but… "One of the ways that a Sekirei can defeat another Sekirei is to destroy their crest, the symbol of their bond to their Ashikabi. It makes them go into a catatonic state."

"Meaning that if you used Rule Breaker on yourself or them you could have possibly killed them, and you of course wanted to avoid that." Rin shook her head, but she smiled fondly at me. "That's so like you."

"Indeed." Saber's smile was a mirror of Rin's.

"Well. We can't blame you for it if you didn't even know what it really was." Rin sighed and shook her head, her smile growing. "Getting mad at you for trying to help people is like getting mad at the sun for shining."

"I knew the truth when I winged Kazehana and Tsukiumi, though," I confessed. In our three years together I'd learned honesty was the best policy when Rin and Saber confronted me about things I'd gotten up to without them around; they were always madder when I kept important stuff to myself and they found out about it later. Even so, though, I didn't mention the situation with Akitsu. She had pledged herself to me long before I'd winged her, and I honestly couldn't regret having done so. Even if I hadn't thought my separation from Rin and Saber was permanent, I was pretty sure I still would've tried it. Akitsu's winging had been life-changing, and I was glad to have given her that happiness.

"What, did you decide by then that you already had five so what were two more?" Rin sighed in exasperation. "Well, at least they aren't children."

"Indeed." Saber shook her head. "I hope the child does not view you romantically."

"I'm just her 'oniichan.'" I shrugged.

"So we don't have to worry about that until she gets older. …That's going to be weird." A look of distaste crossed Rin's face. "Maybe we'll find a way to transfer her to someone her own age by the time she hits puberty."

"On to more important matters, Shirou." Saber shifted, turning to face me fully. "You spoke of a battle royal, and something called Jinki?"

"Yes." There were so much to tell them I didn't even know where to begin. This had taken a lot more out of me than I'd expected, honestly. "Recently Sekirei matches have been declared by MBI—"

"Are you likely to be attacked in the middle of the night?" Rin interrupted. I shook my head. "In that case, I suggest we tackle that tomorrow."

Saber hesitated, then nodded. I noticed she looked tired too — not really surprising, considering they'd just arrived today to a completely unexpected situation. This couldn't have been the reunion they were hoping for. "If you are sure it will not be an issue, I suppose that is acceptable."

"It shouldn't be a problem." One night really wouldn't make that much of a difference. Besides, with the rumors about the north — not to mention Miya's own presence serving as an effective deterrent even against MBI — we were in no real danger of being attacked. Unless some other magus with a grudge, or someone hired by them, managed to track us down.

Saber smiled. "In that case, I would not object to some dinner."

"Shirou…" Rin hesitated, her eyes meeting mine. "There's only one more thing we need to know now." She took a deep breath. "Do you love them?"

I hesitated. Honestly… I wasn't sure. I had asked myself that months ago, and I still didn't know. Was I attracted to them? Yes, and I was certainly fond of them, but love? I had thought I'd loved Rin during the Grail War, but I'd only really understood what love was later, after months with both her and Saber. What I felt for my Sekirei was different from that, but I didn't really know how to explain it. "I don't know," I finally admitted.

"How can you not know?" Rin snapped, tensing up once again.

"This from the person who tells me my worldview is distorted?" I countered.

Rin sagged a bit. "I guess you have a point. You've never been that great at realizing your feelings." She pinked a bit, turning her head. "But… what about us?"

"What about— oh." My own face heated, and I looked away. "Of course I love you," I said gruffly. "Both of you." I wasn't all that great at stating my feelings — especially when Rin surprised me with what was a pretty direct question for her, considering the topic — but the answer came easily. No matter what else had happened, I knew it to be true. "That hasn't changed."

"It is good to see some things remain constant." Saber smiled at me again, and leaned over for a quick kiss. "Now, let us go downstairs, get dinner, and meet your Sekirei."

"You're really going to stay, then? Even with— all of this?" I waved my hand as if to encompass the entire situation.

"Shirou," Rin said sternly, "you really need to try and listen more. I told you, I worked way too hard to give up on you so easily." She reached for my hand, that light flush returning to her face. "A-and you matter too much to us."

"I promised I would be at your side in your time of need. If you seek to protect these women, then my blade will also come to their defense," said Saber solemnly. Her hand came to rest over mine and Rin's.

"And the fact I'm… mated to seven other women?" That wasn't going to change. I did care deeply for my flock, even if it wasn't quite the same as I what felt for Rin and Saber. I wouldn't abandon them… and, if I was completely honest with myself, I'd miss them if I lost them.

They exchanged a look. "We're not happy about it, but we're not about to let some aliens run off with you like that."

"And we would not abandon you in your hour of need." Saber gave Rin a disapproving look, clearly not agreeing with her priorities. "We promised to stand beside you. Do not push us away now."

Rin reddened a bit in shame. "That too. Whatever comes, we'll face it together."

Seeing the determination in their faces, I could do nothing but nod. Even if they weren't happy with the situation, they were staying. I didn't expect things to be easy — there was going to be a lot of tension between them and my flock, and I didn't know what was going to happen — yet somehow the fact that they would be fighting beside me again made me smile. "Yeah."

Our conversation finished, we rose and left my room, heading back downstairs. The minute we entered the dining room, all of its occupants turned to look at us. Akitsu gave me a particularly intense stare, looking me over for damage. "We got everything worked out." I tried to smile reassuringly. "Everyone, this is Rin Tohsaka and Saber. Rin, Saber, these are my Sekirei." I quickly introduced the members of my flock. Both Rin's and Saber's eyes lingered on Homura. Clearly neither had forgotten about his — her — deception. "And this is Miya Asama. You'll need to talk to her about renting."

"They're staying?" Kazehana asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Well, we were supposed to bring Shirou home, but since he's involved with all of this, we'll be staying to help him," Rin answered. "If he wasn't so insistent on protecting you it'd be a very different matter."

I winced. Not subtle, Rin. Not subtle at _all_. Even if she had to all outward appearances calmed down, I could tell she was still upset. I hoped she wouldn't do anything drastic.

"We will protect him," Homura insisted. "We're his Sekirei. It's our job to take care of him."

"I can sympathize," Saber said. Her gaze flickered over Homura, her previous disapproval fading into a look of understanding. I'd noted they had some things in common before. Perhaps Saber sensed a kindred spirit. "However, to save and protect is Shirou's calling in life, and we are well aware of his tendency to place himself in danger to do so. Therefore we shall help you protect him."

"Matsu is curious. Rin-san said she was going to take Shirou-tan home, but Matsu thought Shirou-tan wasn't able to go back to London." She placed a hand under her chin, looking at Saber and Rin carefully.

"Heh. As if I'd let such a thing stay a problem. It took me a while, but I have that situation sorted out." Rin looked smug; I supposed she deserved to. Manipulating the Clock Tower was no minor feat, especially considering her age. She was going to be a force of nature in a decade or so.

"Because you love him!" Musubi spoke up, practically bouncing in her seat. "You love him, which is why you helped him!"

"Yes…" Rin gave her a confused look.

Musubi launched herself at Rin with a squeal, throwing her arms around her and hugging her tightly. "I knew it!" She looked over her shoulder at me, her whole face alight. "Didn't I tell you, Shirou-san? You love them, and they love you, and they came back to you!" Releasing Rin, she bounded over to give a rather startled Saber a similarly enthusiastic hug, and repeated the process with me. "It's so wonderful!"

I hid my smile at her eagerness. "Try to calm down, Musubi?" I noticed Rin and Saber both giving her interesting looks — Saber's a little concerned, Rin's thoughtful. Then again, knowing what I did of Rin's ability to sense power, the contact might've been enough for her to realize just how strong the Sekirei were. While Musubi wasn't the strongest power in the room, she wasn't a lightweight either, especially with her recently developed abilities.

Musubi's smile only widened. "But Shirou-san! We're all going to be together because we love you!" She turned back to face Rin and Saber. "Come on, we have to put you on Sunday!"

Rin blinked. "Sunday?"

"Yes, on the whiteboard!" Musubi waved her hand animatedly, and everyone reflexively turned to look at it, for all that we already knew what it said. Today, being Monday, was Tsukiumi's night, and she had kept it to herself. I had figured out earlier today what she was intending, and… really, it was only fair, since I'd already been with both Akitsu and Musubi.

Rin scrutinized the whiteboard. "You have a schedule." She gave me a disbelieving look.

"For who gets to sit next to him at meals and who gets to sleep with him," Matsu confirmed. She seemed amused by Rin's reaction.

"Kuu gets to sit next to Oniichan at every meal!" Kuu added, looking very pleased with herself. Then she pouted. "Kuu doesn't get to sleep with Oniichan at all, though."

"That is good to hear, little one." Saber smiled at the young Sekirei, clearly relieved I wasn't spending my nights with her.

"Ffffffff!" Kuu folded her arms, sulking. "It is not. Kuu wants to sleep with Oniichan too!"

"Maybe when you're older," I interjected quickly, trying not to think about that. At all.

"Indeed," Saber agreed. "Such young ladies should not sleep with men; it is not appropriate. For now, you must focus on growing up to be strong." She paused, adding, "I am glad that you sit by him at meals, however. Shirou cannot always take care of himself, and I am sure you help with that."

"Yes!" Kuu waved her hands excitedly. "Kuu feeds Oniichan sometimes." She beamed at Saber, then nodded to herself as if making a decision. "Sa-neechan is pretty! Please sit next to Kuu?"

"Ah…" Saber looked a little overwhelmed at Kuu's eagerness.

I nodded at her in encouragement. "We need to eat dinner anyway."

"Yay!" Kuu cried, zipping back to her customary seat. "Sit here, Sa-neechan!" She patted the spot to her left, where Musubi had been. Saber settled beside her, and Kuu immediately began trying to serve her the meal.

"And Sunday was a free day because it belongs to the winner of the shopping race, but now it belongs to Rin-san and Saber-san!" Musubi announced, not to be distracted from her topic.

I couldn't say I entirely liked the idea. While I didn't want to play favorites, it had been a _very_ long time since I'd been with my girlfriends. The thought of being around them again for the first time in so long but waiting almost a week to spend the night together was distasteful in the extreme… but the whiteboard had been my idea in the first place. It wouldn't be fair to completely rearrange it just because I wanted to.

"That doesn't seem very fair," Rin commented. She'd moved closer to the whiteboard and was studying it closely. "There are two of us, after all."

"You can have Tuesday too," Homura quickly offered, looking relieved at the idea. She hadn't been happy having to dictate who got her day to begin with, and this would get her out of that chore. Not to mention that neither of us were comfortable with the idea of…

I firmly pushed that thought away.

Rin chewed a bit on her lower lip. "Hmm. It would be better if the days were a bit more spaced out."

"Oh?" Matsu asked. "Is it a magecraft thing?"

Rin gave her a sharp look. "I'm surprised you know about that."

"Shirou-tan didn't want us to, but when another magus blew up the dining room wall he had to tell us." Matsu shrugged. "Otherwise we probably wouldn't. Shirou-tan is very fond of secrets."

"You were attacked in this room?" Saber looked up from Kuu, her eyes narrowing. "Shirou, I thought you said we did not need to worry about ambushes."

"Not from Sekirei," I clarified. "It was probably a bounty hunter."

"And you're still here." Rin shook her head, not pleased. "You know they'll probably try again. Especially if they were linked to…"

_The Einzberns_, I silently finished. "Well, there hasn't been anything since then, and the city is in lockdown. MBI has checkpoints at every exit. I could avoid them, but—"

"You'd be tracked immediately," Rin finished for me. "Hmmm. And I'm guessing there's some sort of tracer on the Sekirei?"

"Yeah."

"How did Rin-san know?" Matsu asked.

Rin tucked a bit of hair behind her ear. "Well, it's just common sense, isn't it? MBI clearly wants the Ashikabi contained, but the Sekirei are critical to whatever the final goal of their Plan is. You might be able to be winged again by a new Ashikabi, but if you vanished they probably couldn't replace you," she summarized matter-of-factly. Then again, she had plenty of experience with this type of mindset. Magi would probably do the same thing, minus the publicizing matches with television cameras part.

"…That's a little scary," Homura muttered, eyeing Rin with concern. I purposefully kept a smile off my face. Rin's intellect was, in fact, _very_ scary. Maybe having her here wouldn't be an all bad thing. She wasn't really a magus at heart — the truth was she was too kind for it, and to be honest I was grateful for that — but she had the proper mindset. Sooner or later we would likely have to go up against another magus, and I was sure Rin, with her understanding of how her less compassionate colleagues would think, would be able to help my flock be prepared for it.

"In any case, we will need a full account of not only the Sekirei Plan but also the other threats you have encountered, Shirou." Saber's voice was stern. "We shall start after dinner."

"Not tonight!" Rin protested. Saber gave her a measuring glance. "I'll put up some protections before bed, if you want."

Saber only frowned slightly at that.

"Tomorrow," I promised. "We're safe here, as safe as I can be, anyway." Saber wasn't the type to wait where danger was concerned, but Rin was right — it would be better if we went over everything while we were fresh. "As far as that goes, Matsu, I'd like you to help with that."

"Sure, Shirou-tan." Matsu nodded. "We can show them the files in Matsu's room." Turning her attention back to Rin, she asked, "Why doesn't Rin-san want Sunday and Tuesday?"

Rin and I shared a glance, and I gestured for her to go ahead. While I had explained the basics of magecraft to my flock, Rin was much more of an expert. "Saber is a spirit. To stay in this world she needs prana on a regular basis. She takes a lot of mine, but Shirou can make supporting her easier on me by performing a ritual."

It was true that Rin could support Saber alone for limited periods of time, but then Saber would have to sleep and eat more than usual, to the point that she would be doing little else. Likewise, Rin would find herself unable to do almost any magecraft, with so much of her above-average capacity tied into supporting Saber. Once a week would probably be enough in times of peace, but if Saber had to fight, it would be better to have her as close to capacity as possible.

"And having the ritual spaced out makes it easier!" Matsu concluded. "Like charging a battery at regular intervals."

"Yes, exactly." Rin looked a bit bemused. I made sure not to smile. I had a feeling that these two were going to be interesting with each other. Matsu had been offended by my level of technological ability; just wait until she encountered Rin's.

"Well, Rin-san and Saber-san can have Thursday if I can have Tuesday," Musubi suggested. "If you're sure, Homura-san."

"I'm quite sure," Homura told her.

Tsukiumi looked between me, Saber, and at Rin for several moments, apparently deep in thought. Finally, she placed her hands firmly on the table. "Monday is my day," she declared. "As such, I have decided that Rin and Saber may sleep with Shirou tonight."

My eyes went wide in shock. For Tsukiumi to give up a day, much less a day I knew she had planned to be our first time-

"In that case, Tsukiumi can have Tuesday this week!" Musubi said cheerfully. "That's only fair." She picked up the whiteboard marker. "Um, Shirou-san, how do you write their names?"

I helped Musubi do so, then took my own seat, Kuu on my left and Tsukiumi on my right. "Thank you," I murmured.

"I imagine you must have missed them very much." Tsukiumi's voice was soft, but understanding. "However, you shall allow me to feed you tonight!"

I tried not to smile. "Yes, dear."

Rin ended up sitting next to Matsu, helping herself to some of the food, and the other inhabitants of Izumo House resumed their own meal. Matsu waited until Rin had her plate full, then asked, smirking, "So, is Rin-tan as bad with computers as Shirou-tan was?" I managed not to choke, but only barely. Oh yes, here it was…

Rin blinked at the changed suffix, then colored. "I am _not_ bad with technology!" she retorted. "I can type an essay just fine. I just prefer to write it by hand. Penmanship is a dying art form."

"There's a lot more you can do with a computer than type an essay," Matsu replied. "Matsu has shown Shirou-tan all _sorts_ of interesting things." Her innocent smile was definitely starting to look like a leer.

"Well, I don't need it," said Rin dismissively. "There's nothing you can do that pen and paper can't match."

Undeterred, Matsu cackled. "After dinner Matsu is going to have to show Rin-tan what she made for Shirou-tan."

"It can't be that interesting," Rin muttered as she took a few more bites of her food.

"It's a digital workshop," I interjected. Rin's eyes immediately lit up with interest. I smirked a bit. "On the other hand, it might not be safe, Matsu. After what happened with the fax machine—"

"What have I told you about that, Shirou?" Rin glared at me, crossing her arms.

"Now this is a story Matsu has to hear." The Sekirei looked quite amused.

"Well, too bad, because we're not telling it. Ever. Again." Rin punctuated the last two words with a jab of her chopsticks in my direction before crossly resuming her meal.

Homura glanced between her and Tsukiumi, then at me, an expression of dismay on her face. I nodded in confirmation of her silent conclusion.

"What?" Rin snapped, noticing the exchange.

"Nothing!" we said in concert.

Rin was clearly not convinced, but in the absence of any further openings simply nodded shortly. "Good."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table for a few minutes. Miya was watching the entire scene with amusement. Kazehana continued to sip her sake, not saying anything. Tsukiumi was fully occupied with feeding me, relishing the chance to do so without the interference of Kuu, who seemed to be completely enamored of Saber. Musubi just bounced in her seat as she ate, pleased beyond words that my girlfriends had come for me. Matsu had retrieved her tablet and was doing something on it, probably preparing to shock Rin with the wonders of technology. Akitsu was keeping silent watch over me as usual, and Homura kept looking at Saber between bites of her food and fidgeting.

Saber finished her meal and then sat back, sipping her tea. "Can I do something for you, Homura?"

"Um… are you really King Arthur?" Homura asked, a bit timidly.

Saber nodded, and I wondered what Homura was feeling. Surprise that the most famous King of Britain was a petite, girlish-looking woman? Shock at her beauty? Disbelief that such a demure figure could accomplish the types of feats the legends and I had implied?

Homura's face reddened. "Can I have your autograph?" she blurted.

Well. I hadn't considered _that _one.

Saber blinked. "Ah… if you wish."

Homura beamed. "R-right! I'll be right back!" She jumped to her feet and made a beeline for her room.

Rin was grinning at the exchange. "Someone's got a fan," she teased.

"I do not understand why. I am not that famous." Saber shook her head.

Rin and I exchanged amused glances. No matter how we tried to change her mind, Saber was adamant about that. "Well, in any case, we should probably do the dishes," I said as I finished my own meal. "Let's gather everything up and get started."

"Come on, Tsukiumi!" Musubi said cheerfully. "Let's go! The sooner we get done the sooner we can start the party!"

"Party?" I blinked at her.

"To celebrate Saber-san and Rin-san coming back to Shirou-san, of course!" Musubi said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I should not have to always do the dishes," Tsukiumi said, sulking. "Just because I have power over water…"

"I'll do the dishes if you make the water," I offered.

Tsukiumi pinked. "Very well. Then I shall dry."

"'Make' the water?" Rin echoed me, giving Tsukiumi a contemplative look.

"Matsu is going to stay with Rin-tan and start teaching her!" the hacker declared, putting a stop to that line of inquiry for now. Yup, she had clearly adopted Rin as her student.

"I don't need… wait, are those runes? What does this— oh!" Rin's eyes went wide as Matsu did something on the tablet. "And that's translating them?"

"Yup. There are a lot of search engines and translation programs on the internet." Matsu looked smug.

"Well, when Homura returns, tell her to come to the kitchen to heat the water. If I must use my abilities for such menial tasks, she must as well," Tsukiumi declared, gathering up a pile of dishes and heading off to the kitchen.

"They're using their powers for household chores?" Rin looked dumbstruck. Then again, magi generally held conservation of power as a priority and would never waste it in such a fashion. To be a magus was to live in both the mundane world and the mystical one at the same time, but the two were never to meet.

I was never much of a magus in that regard, regularly using my abilities for common household repairs. I shrugged, offering an explanation I knew Rin would accept. "Helps keep down the utility bills."

She nodded slowly in comprehension, gazing at the kitchen door thoughtfully. I smiled a bit at the mental image of what Rin would do with a flock of Sekirei of her own. No doubt she'd try to find every way she could take advantage of their powers. While Rin might be a magus, she was also extremely conservative when it came to money.

"As Emiya-kun is the only one in the building currently paying rent, it is important for the rest of the household to contribute towards Izumo House's upkeep," Miya added. "Perhaps we can do the paperwork for your lease before Matsu gets started?"

"Right." Rin leaned away from the tablet and stood. "I'll be back."

I nodded and followed Musubi and Tsukiumi into the kitchen, keeping a careful watch on Kuu as she stubbornly carried in Saber's dishes. This wouldn't take too long.

* * *

I stared out over the dining room, feeling more than a bit bemused. Whenever Izumo House had a party, I generally ended up being the center of attention. Perhaps that was only inevitable, considering the nature of the Sekirei-Ashikabi bond. This usually meant that things got out of hand pretty quickly, often resulting in Hannyas courtesy of Miya. Tonight, however, was different. Rin and Saber's presence was apparently enough of a novelty that most of my Sekirei were ignoring me in favor of them. While Akitsu remained faithfully at my side, everyone else had scattered about the room. Rin was currently flanked by Tsukiumi and Matsu, the former demonstrating her powers over water, much to Rin's delight. Saber, meanwhile, was surrounded by Homura, Kuu, and Musubi. It seemed Homura had somehow managed to convince Saber to talk about her childhood, and she was relating what her life had been like before becoming a king. Miya was relaxing in the corner, her tenants well behaved enough for once that she didn't have to constantly watch for improper behavior.

The only one worrying me was Kazehana, who was sitting alone on the side of the room, her usual sake beside her. I had waited a little while to see if she would join the festivities on her own, but so far she hadn't shown any inclination to do so. I hesitated for a moment, then rose, heading over to her. "Hey, Kazehana."

"Lover-kun!" she chirped. "Would you like some?" She held out her bottle.

"Sure." I sat beside her, Akitsu mirroring the motion a moment later. After pouring myself some sake, I returned the bottle to her. "Are you all right?"

"Worried about me?" Kazehana smirked. "Don't be. I'm fine." She arched her back, as if to emphasize just how fine she was.

I couldn't help but admire what the motion did to her chest for a moment before I forced my thoughts back on track. "It isn't like you to stay off to the side."

Kazehana shrugged. "I'm not that interested in socializing with them."

I frowned. I honestly hadn't expected my Sekirei to welcome Saber and Rin the way they had. Their open-armed reception of my human lovers was frankly a little strange, but I didn't understand why only Kazehana would be holding back. I sat for a few minutes, trying to figure it out, when suddenly it dawned on me.

One of the first things that Kazehana and I had had in common, before she'd become my Sekirei, was that we had both loved and lost. Now, however, I had regained what I'd thought I would never have again. Saber and Rin showed no signs of wanting to leave — they'd outright refused to do so. Perhaps if my flock had rejected them and the situation had escalated, I would've had to make a choice, but by and large my Sekirei seemed to be welcoming them just as they had Kazehana when I'd winged her. Tsukiumi's gift of a night alone was enough to demonstrate that fact.

Only Kazehana wasn't reaching out to them like the others, and I couldn't shake the feeling it had something to do with what she'd lost.

"Kuu doesn't want to go to bed!"

The cry of my youngest Sekirei distracted me. I turned to look at Kuu, who was clearly pouting.

"That may be," Saber allowed, "but nonetheless, it is time." She rose to her feet. "Come, Kusano. I will walk you to your room."

"Kuu isn't tired!" the little girl insisted.

"But I am, and I wish to go to sleep now," Saber said gently, and Kuu blinked in surprise. That wasn't what usually happened. Far more often she went to bed knowing that the rest of the household would remain awake. "If I am to be prepared to train with Shirou tomorrow I need my sleep." Saber held out her hand to Kuu. "Now, won't you go to bed as well?"

My hands twitched at Saber's words. It had been a long time since we'd trained together, and I missed it. "That sounds like a good idea." I glanced at Kazehana, who nodded, clearly telling me it was all right to go, and then I stood, moving to Saber's side. While I doubted she needed her sleep to keep up with me, I certainly needed mine to give her a decent challenge.

"We've had a long day," Rin agreed, getting to her feet as well.

"Saber-san is going to train with Shirou-san?" Musubi looked excited. "Can I watch?"

Saber looked at me. I nodded, knowing from past experiences that Musubi would be heartbroken if I denied her. "If you would like."

"Does Sa-neechan have swords too?" Kuu asked, her eyes wide with interest.

"I have a sword, yes," Saber confirmed. Kuu's eyes lit up. "But if you are to see us spar tomorrow you must go to sleep now. Otherwise you will not be awake enough to watch."

"Okay!" Kuu pulled on Saber's hand. "Come on, Sa-neechan! Kuu sleeps over here!"

Rin was smiling in amusement, a mirror of the expression on my own face. It appeared Saber really had been adopted. "Well, we're going to say goodnight too. We'll see you in the morning."

"Have fun!" Matsu smirked.

"We'll see you in the morning, Shirou-san!" Musubi said cheerfully. I turned and left my flock behind, even Akitsu, heading up to my room with Rin.

"Well, they're a lively bunch. It can't get boring around here, I'm sure," Rin commented as she helped me lay out the futon.

I smiled, thinking of Matsu's 'soap opera' comments. "Yeah. You looked like you were having fun."

"Hmm. The Sekirei's powers are interesting. I'm looking forward to doing some more research. Matsu's going to be a big help there, I can tell." Rin settled on the futon. "Even if I have to learn to use computers." She scowled.

"You don't want a digital workshop of your own?" I knew Rin had been impressed by Matsu's creation; the pair had pored over it for nearly an hour before Tsukiumi had joined them.

Rin pursed her lips. "It'd certainly be _useful_. I'm just not looking forward to it." Well, I hadn't exactly wanted to learn either, but in the end the benefits outweighed the negatives. Rin looked around my room. "I can see why you have a schedule. It'd be a tight fit to get them all in here."

"Kuu and Homura wouldn't be staying in here anyway, but Miya mostly insisted on it because she needed more money for rent," I admitted. "She'll take in anyone in need, but not all of them can pay. They do chores instead, but…"

"But the taxes and utilities have to be paid, not to mention food. So the Sekirei are using their powers to help with the utilities." Rin shook her head. I was surprised how tired she sounded. She normally didn't sound so exhausted this early at night, but I supposed it had been an extraordinarily trying day for her.

"I've been doing repair work to bring in money, but it's getting a little tight." Not to mention I was having trouble scheduling appointments. I didn't want to take anything more than a week out since I didn't know when I'd have a chance to escape Shin Tokyo with my flock. While I would abandon an appointment if I had to, I didn't want to. It was bad business.

"Repair work, hmm? It suits you." Rin smiled for a moment before growing serious again. "I suppose I'll have to get a job of my own, at least. I'm not sure we can find something that would suit Saber."

"Can you do that?" I asked. "How long can you stay here without the Clock Tower getting suspicious?"

"Oh, at least another two weeks. No one expected us to find you quickly. You'd done a fairly good job of hiding your tracks, though if you've been attacked before, I'm surprised they haven't made the connection yet." Rin looked thoughtful. "I think I might know why, though, and it would help us to be able to stay here for a while. Assuming you don't end up bolting. Tomorrow I want to look at these Jinki you mentioned and see if there's anything I can figure out."

I nodded. "How did you find me, anyway?"

Rin smirked. "Oh, I actually managed to convince Saber to use magecraft," she said offhandedly.

I stared at her. While Saber had the _capability_ to become a magus, she had long insisted that she did not have the correct mindset for it. For her to have actually relented enough to allow Rin to teach her… "How?"

"Well, she knows Avalon better than anyone except maybe you, right? So we used that as a focus for scrying, through its connection to Excalibur." Rin tucked a bit of her hair back. "It didn't give us an exact picture, only information about the area, but it was enough to know we needed to come to Shin Tokyo, and what your neighborhood looked like. It was surprising it worked at all, considering it's inside of you."

The fact Saber had consented to learning magecraft — even if only one mystery — after nearly three years of nagging from Rin was nothing less than astonishing. It was almost more surprising than how they'd found me in the first place. I had never considered Avalon to be a possible way to track me. It was something I'd have to keep in mind in the future. "Huh. How long did that take?"

"We started practicing about six months ago, so that when I got your Sealing Designation handed over to me we could leave almost immediately," Rin said. She sighed at the look of surprise on my face. "Saber told you, didn't she? We always intended to come back to you. We never stopped working towards that, one way or another."

The door opened, and Saber stepped into the room, settling on the futon beside me. I quickly changed the subject. "Thank you for taking care of Kuu."

Saber nodded, a small smile on her face. "She is a sweet child, though willful."

"I never knew you were good with kids. Maybe we should set you up as a babysitter," Rin suggested. "Shirou and I were talking about jobs and rent while you were gone."

"I have no childrearing experience. However, I am familiar with the need to instill discipline." She turned to me. "That is very necessary at her age."

"I've been resorting to bribery," I confessed.

Saber frowned. "Well, that shall cease immediately," she declared. "You do not wish her to grow up spoiled. While we remain here, I will work with her." She looked back at Rin. "As for the other… I am not sure what profession would allow me to both earn income and be in a position to protect Shirou. It sounds as if he is in more danger that we suspected. "

"It isn't that bad," I protested.

"You're a terrible judge of that kind of thing, Shirou," Rin commented. "Stop while you're ahead."

Saber nodded in agreement, leaning a little against my shoulder. I wrapped one arm around her waist, the other going around Rin's, and for a moment just enjoyed their presence. "How was it, after I left?" I finally asked.

"Bad," Rin said with a sigh. Her voice had lost its liveliness again, becoming subdued and weary. "The Enforcers came and took me for questioning. Not that they got much out of me — they had nothing on Kirei. Once I was released, classes went back to more or less how they were when we first got there for a while."

Meaning she was shunned by most of her classmates and teachers. Once she'd demonstrated her abilities some were willing to open up to her, but it sounded like the scandal surrounding my departure had put her back at square one. Suppressing my guilt, I turned to look Saber. "And what about you, Saber?"

"Lonely," she admitted. "Rin was there, but…"

"But I'm not you," Rin finished. She kissed me lightly, then sighed. "I never thought I'd have to be put on a _schedule_—" she spat the word out like it was a curse "—to sleep with my boyfriend."

"Rin…" Somehow I'd forgotten how good her mask was. She'd been hiding her anger and hurt downstairs while Musubi had been chattering about whiteboard, but it was clear in her voice now. I'd caught brief glimpses of it from time to time, but the depth of it… that hadn't shown.

Just as clear was how exhausted she was. Had it been the trials of the day that had worn her out, or had it been masking her own feelings to get along with everyone downstairs?

"What? You can't expect me to be happy about it." Rin crossed her arms. "I'm sure Saber isn't either."

I looked at her. The swordswoman nodded in agreement, her expression grave.

"But having some time with you is better than nothing at all, I guess." Rin's arms tightened around me. I desperately wanted to help her, to stop the pain I heard in her voice, but didn't know how.

"Shirou," she said after a moment of silence, her face serious, "I've asked you this before. I'm asking again because I need to know. What do _you _want?"

What did I want? It was a question I had struggled with during the entire time I'd been with Rin. She'd pressed both Saber and me on the issue, because we shared a tendency to sacrifice what we wanted so that others could have what they needed. It was part of Rin's lessons on 'having fun and enjoying living your life' that she insisted we needed.

I knew from experience that when she asked me 'what do you want,' she really meant 'what would make you happy?' And she didn't mean the simple type of happiness that came from sparring with Saber or someone enjoying my cooking. She was talking about the type of happiness that defined a person's life, something I had struggled with for a long time, though I hadn't even realized it.

It was the kind of happiness Kiritsugu had had on his face when he'd saved me.

The answer for me had always been 'to save.' The word was on the tip of my tongue, but for some reason I hesitated. While it hadn't become any less important, there was something else I wanted as well. "I want…" I licked my lips. "I want tonight to be real."

"What do you mean, Shirou?" Saber asked quietly.

"Downstairs, when everyone was getting along," I explained. "You two were just putting on an act to hide what you were really feeling, but… I want that to be real. I want everyone to get along and be happy." I could feel my face flush a bit as I spoke.

Rin glared. "Wishing for happiness for others isn't making you happy!" she reminded me pointedly.

"No, it's—" I bit my lip, then plunged onward "—I don't want to have to choose." I struggled with the words. Akitsu, Matsu, Kuu, Homura, Kazehana, Tsukiumi, Musubi… all of them had found a place in my life. If I lost them, I'd miss them terribly, but now that I had Rin and Saber back, I couldn't imagine losing them again either. "I want to know I can have all of you, but you won't be miserable for it." There it was, stupid and selfish but true.

Rin stared at me for a moment, then let out a bitter laugh, burying her head in my shoulder. "You always want the most ridiculously impossible things, don't you, Shirou?"

"But he is being honest, Rin. That truly is his wish." Saber's voice was wistful. "He desires that perhaps more than anything."

I started at the words, frowning. No — I still wanted to save others. I wanted to feel that joy that I had seen in Kiritsugu's eyes the moment he had saved one life. The only way to do that was to follow his dream to the end…

…wasn't it?

"Yeah." Rin sighed deeply. "Maybe these Sekirei are good for you," she said begrudgingly, and lifted her head to kiss me fiercely. "Enough talking for tonight, though." Her mouth moved along my jawline to nip at my earlobe. "I can think of much better things to do."

It seemed she wasn't _that_ tired after all.

"I agree," Saber said. Her hands slipped under the hem of my shirt, making me shiver. "Let us remind our errant apprentice of his obligations, shall we?"

I abandoned complicated thoughts for the ease of simple movement. For now, all I wanted or needed was to be with them again - and that, at least, I knew I could have.

* * *

Regarding Kuu's address of Saber: The appropriate diminutive formation would be "Se-neechan" or "Sei-neechan" in romanized Japanese. However, since "Saber" is an English word and this is an English-language story, we have chosen to stick with IF's use of "Sa-neechan." The difference when the two are spoken would not be apparent anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Sekirei and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Sakurako Gokurakuin and her associates. Fate/stay night and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Type-Moon and its associates. The story "In Flight" is written by Gabriel Blessing. No financial gain is intended or made by this story.

* * *

I woke with Rin on my right and Saber on my left. The situation was so comfortable, so familiar, that I just lay there for a moment, enjoying the feeling. For a few heartbeats I thought only of how wonderful it was to have them back and nothing of what lay beyond the four walls of my room. Then the moment passed, and I shifted in their embrace.

"Shirou?"

I looked over at Saber, whose eyes were concerned. "It's fine, Saber. I'm just going to go cook breakfast." On my other side, Rin grumbled and latched harder onto me, burying her head in my chest.

"Would you like me to go with you?" Saber asked softly.

I considered it for a moment. Saber enjoyed sleeping in, and since it helped her conserve energy, it wasn't a habit that Rin or I discouraged. However, that didn't mean she wasn't aware of her surroundings at all times, which meant it was difficult to not wake her. Undoubtedly being in an unfamiliar environment meant that Saber was even more sensitive to possible disruptions (and threats) around her than normal. "Why don't you stay with Rin?" I suggested. "Everyone is likely to sleep a little late this morning, with the party last night. I'll send someone up to get you when it's breakfast time."

"…one of the others. Of course." Sadness touched her eyes for a moment, and my stomach twisted. Rin had always been more obvious in her feelings than Saber. Usually it took quiet moments like this for me to really understand what the former Servant was thinking. That was only a glimpse, but for Saber, it was a huge tell. This was why my wish was impossible, a selfish thing I didn't deserve.

Saber nodded to herself. "That would be acceptable. I look forward to enjoying your cooking again."

"Would you like anything in particular?" I asked, mostly out of habit, though I knew what the answer would be.

"Anything you make will be fine," Saber assured me.

That might have been so, but after three years together both Rin and I had found dishes that Saber was especially fond of. If I had the ingredients in the kitchen I'd try and make at least one of them; it was the least I could do. With a move perfected by practice, we swapped positions, allowing Rin to cling to Saber instead. I kissed my blond lover lightly, then headed downstairs to work on breakfast. With Saber and Rin joining us, I would need to make more than usual. I quickly began to work, gathering ingredients and tools after pulling on my apron.

"Good morning, Emiya-san."

"Morning, Miya-san." I looked up from the fish I was preparing as Miya entered the kitchen.

"I have clarified the Izumo House rules with Tohsaka-san. We had an interesting discussion about some of them." Miya looked amused. "She has a very quick mind."

"She does," I agreed, nodding. "What was she debating?"

"She agreed that prohibiting violence was wise, especially under current circumstances, as tensions are likely to arise between your Sekirei and them. However, she was quite adamant that not all… physical expressions of affection qualify as 'lewd behavior.'" A smile tugged at Miya's lips. "It took us quite some time to reach a compromise. I did tell her she could find other lodgings, but she insisted she would take you with her in that case, and that would leave me without anyone paying rent."

"And she argued…?" I almost wished I'd gotten to see this.

"That for behavior to be lewd it must be obscene, and for it to be obscene it must be against the standards of decency for a society."

"And so…?" I asked when she paused, clearly waiting for me to prod for the results.

"We came to an agreement that public acts of a sexual nature are against the standards of Japanese society, but private acts between consenting adults within the confides of one's own room, provided they cause no disruption to others, cannot be considered lewd," Miya summarized. "After quite a bit of debate, I have come to accept Tohsaka-san's definition. She managed to counter every objection to it that I raised."

I smiled. That sounded exactly like Rin. Sometimes I thought she should've been a lawyer instead of a magus. "That seems to be a good compromise."

"Hmm. See to it there are no public incidents, Emiya-san, or I'll banish you from the kitchen." With that, Miya left the room. I sighed. It seemed that even if I could now counter her mask, Miya was not without means to punish me.

Well, I'd just have to not give her any reason to do so.

Honestly, that was more of a compromise on that rule than I had ever expected to get, and I was happy to have it. The situation being what it was with Saber, I couldn't stop having sex with her even if I wanted to — and I most certainly did _not_ want to — unless I wanted to handicap her. I continued to work on breakfast, my flock slowly drifting into the kitchen and dining room as they woke up. As I reached the last stage in my preparations I looked for the closest of my girls. "Musubi, would you mind knocking on my door and making sure Saber and Rin are awake?"

"Of course, Shirou-san!" She quickly left the room, a bounce in her step. I noted, with no little amusement, that Kuu hurried to follow her. A few minutes later the pair of Sekirei returned, Saber being led to her seat by Kuu, who'd taken possession of her hand.

I handed the last of the dishes over to Homura, who was helping ferry them to the table, and went to the fridge, pouring a large glass of milk. As I entered the dining room, I felt a smile tug at my lips as Rin managed to make it to the table. She was up, dressed, and nominally awake, but the sharpness in her eyes was missing. Rin hated mornings with a passion. Her only defense for required early days was an ability to run on autopilot until her mind caught up with her body. Luckily, I had something that could help with that.

"Morning, Rin." I passed her the milk, which she took by reflex, then quickly chugged.

She blinked a few times before focusing on me, her mind finally catching up to the rest of her. "Morning, Shirou."

"Breakfast is ready." I glanced over the table. My usual place was vacant, of course. Kuu and Tsukiumi had resumed their places from last night, since Musubi had given over her newly assigned Tuesday to the water user. Akitsu was next to Tsukiumi already, and Matsu was between Kazehana and Homura. "Why don't you sit next to Musubi?" That would put her between the fighter and Miya, which should be a relatively safe place.

"Sure." Rin shrugged and took her seat.

For a few minutes, we all enjoyed the meal in silence. "So, what's the plan for today?" Rin asked after a while. "Are you working?"

"This afternoon," I confirmed. "I know Saber wanted to spar…"

"After the breakfast dishes are done, then?" Saber asked. I nodded. By the time I managed to wash the dishes and put away the leftovers, even with help, I should be ready. Sekirei tended to eat a lot by themselves, and Saber could easily match any of them.

"Would it be permissible for me to watch?" Miya asked. Her eyes lingered on Saber, clearly intrigued.

"I don't mind if Saber doesn't." I glanced around at my flock, who all looked interested. They'd all seen me fight at one time or another, but I had a feeling that this one would be something else.

"That is fine," Saber acquiesced.

"After that, Saber and I should probably get our things moved in," Rin added. "We have to check out by ten."

Thinking about it, I realized that the two of them hadn't shown up with any luggage. I hadn't even considered where their things must be, but I supposed it only made sense that they hadn't shown up in Japan with only the clothing on their backs. Part of me was surprised that Rin had allowed her bags to remain in an unoccupied room for so long, but on the other hand… well. I knew what type of defenses Rin put on her suitcases. Any thief trying to make off with their belongings would get a lot more than they'd bargained for. "Do you need help?" I asked. It would be a bit tight with travel time, but I didn't want them to have to carry their things all the way across the city. Saber tended to pack lightly, but Rin usually insisted on carrying her most important magecraft implements and texts along with her more mundane travel items.

"I'll go!" Musubi offered. "Helping Shirou-san move in was fun."

"That'll work." Rin shrugged. "Then later we need to at least start catching up on what the Sekirei Plan is and what you've been up to."

I nodded. "Maybe after dinner?"

"Matsu can start working with Rin-tan and Saber-tan once they get their things moved in," Matsu suggested. "Shirou-tan doesn't really need to be there for that."

"And after we are familiar with the situation we shall have a strategy session," Saber declared.

I smiled. Ah, a strategy session — the term conjured up fond memories amid grim situations. Even after the Grail War they had been necessary from time to time, mostly when Saber and Rin could accompany on my trips. "Matsu, how long do you think it'll take?"

"Hmmm. Well, Matsu thinks Rin-tan and Saber-tan need to know as much about the Sekirei and the Plan as Shirou-tan… maybe tomorrow would be a good idea?" she suggested. "Matsu can show Rin-tan and Saber-tan the profiles today, and they can read them some tonight."

"Profiles?" Rin asked.

"Matsu hacked MBI's databases. We have files on every Ashikabi and Sekirei, as well as their abilities," I explained. Technically there was one missing entry from the Sekirei list, but Miya wasn't an enemy, so it didn't matter.

Both Rin's and Saber's eyes widened in surprise. "That will be very helpful. I trust you have profiles of your own Sekirei as well?" Saber asked. I nodded. "Very well. We shall study this information so we are able to help craft a strategy suited to the strengths and weaknesses of your subordinates."

I blinked at the term Saber had used. I would hardly call them that, especially since they didn't have a military mindset, but… "Just let me know when you're ready."

Conversation drifted to my flock's plans for the day, which were pretty typical: chores, mostly, with the exception of Musubi and Matsu, who had their own special tasks to deal with helping Saber and Rin. I only kept half my attention on the conversation until I heard Matsu say something definitely intended to start trouble.

"And we all know what Tsukiumi-tan is going to be doing later tonight!" She smirked.

I glanced at Miya, who raised an eyebrow, but didn't react just yet. Tsukiumi flushed. "Well, as Shirou's legal wife—"

Rin slammed down her cup. "Since _when_?"

Everyone, including me, stiffened in surprise, looking at her. I was so used to Tsukiumi's customary address for me that I hadn't even considered how Rin and Saber would react to it.

"Since he winged me," Tsukiumi declared, squaring her shoulders and meeting Rin's icy glare with determination.

"A prana contract isn't a marriage," Rin countered.

"Indeed," Saber agreed, her eyes narrowed, frowning. "To claim such a thing is absurd."

"Saber, Rin, it's all right," I interjected. "It's just something she says."

"No, it is not all right," Saber said firmly. "Marriage is a legal commitment important for the welfare of society."

"Uh, Saber, it might have been that way in your time, but…" I tried to calm her down.

"No, Shirou," she insisted. "A marriage might tie two kingdoms together, or cement a trade alliance, or provide a stable environment for rearing children. It is not something to be taken lightly."

"The act of winging is the same as marriage for a Sekirei," Tsukiumi declared. "Shirou asked to wing me, and I accepted. That makes him my husband."

"And Tsukiumi loves Shirou-san!" Musubi added.

"Love?" Saber glanced at her dismissively. "Love has nothing to do with marriage."

All of the Sekirei froze, staring at the King of Knights in shock. I winced. "Saber," I said hastily, trying to do damage control, "it was important for you because you were a king. Things are different nowadays, especially for, uh, commoners." As a Servant, Saber had picked up a great deal of knowledge of the current era, but sometimes the subtler changes in social constructs eluded her. "The Sekirei feel that winging is the same as marriage, and I don't mind treating it that way, really…"

"Well, that's pretty stupid," Rin said bluntly, and I winced again. "Even if they're Sekirei, you're human." She folded her arms. "If they really intend to spend all their lives with you, living among humans, they can't expect you to constantly play by their rules."

Saber nodded firmly in agreement. "Furthermore, making such a statement will only cause dissention between you and your comrades, Tsukiumi. It is nothing more than an attempt to place yourself above them, which will result in conflict Shirou will have to waste valuable time and resources to solve."

"Not to mention confusing any normal person who hears it on the street," Rin muttered. "No one calls themselves a 'legal wife.' You're either a wife or not."

Tsukiumi turned to me, looking a little uncertain. It was true that Saber and Rin both had valid points. Saber was undoubtedly speaking from her experience as a leader of knights, men who tended to boast of their own prowess and challenge each other for dominance. She might very well have been correct, had it not been for the bond. Not Human, I reminded myself. Tsukiumi's comment had become a part of the daily routine, as had the others' responses to it. The bond kept my flock in tune with each other and relatively happy, so that the Sekirei took no offense to comments like that.

There was no such bond to keep their relationship with Saber and Rin cordial, though.

"It would be better if you didn't say that, Tsukiumi," I said apologetically. "You're all important to me," Even though I was trying to let her down gently, Tsukiumi folded her arms and looked away, glaring, clearly upset even if she wasn't saying anything. "And Rin is right. It could cause problems if someone heard you." I gave her and Saber a look, silently asking them to drop the subject. If Saber kept talking, it was possible Homura might start asking questions about her own experience, and I _really_ didn't want to explain the whole Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot situation, especially with Musubi in the room. The idea that Saber would have married someone she didn't love for the stability of the kingdom, then for Guinevere to have fallen in love and that love to have helped _destroy_ the kingdom…

There was no way Musubi would take that well.

Saber gave a small nod, agreeing to drop the topic. Rin rolled her eyes a bit, but didn't say anything else… until she slowly smirked. It was a terribly familiar expression that made me reflexively lean back a little. She was about to say something that was going to make my life complicated, I knew it. "Besides, if prana contracts made people into wives, Shirou would be _mine_."

For a moment, silence reigned, and then the Sekirei in the room spoke in unison. "Eeeeeeeeeh?"

"Oh, didn't Shirou tell you that?" Rin's smirk grew. "I had a prana contract with him while we were still in high school."

"That— that doesn't make me your _wife_!" I spluttered.

"No, I believe Rin is correct in this matter." Saber had a serene little smile on her face. "You are most capable when it comes to all the skills necessary for a wife."

"Cleaning, cooking, gossiping at the market…" Rin ticked them off on her fingers. I dropped my forehead into my hand. I wasn't going to live this one down anytime soon.

"But why did Rin-tan and Shirou-tan have a prana contract?" Matsu asked, looking curious. "Did it have something to do with the Grail War?"

Rin dropped her smirk in surprise, shooting me a glance. "Matsu, when we're going over things later, I want you to tell me how much everyone is aware of in terms of magecraft."

"Sure thing, Rin-tan. So, what was the prana contract for?" Matsu was grinning. I had a sneaking suspicion she might have watched the 'ritual' last night and knew exactly what a prana contract entailed.

"It allowed Shirou to use his strongest ability. He didn't have the power for it." Rin shrugged, but didn't say anything more specific. She wouldn't reveal my mysteries any more than I would hers.

"That sounds familiar…" Homura mused.

"She helped him use his Norito!" Musubi exclaimed. "Rin-san is Shirou-san's Ashikabi!"

"Ah — Ashikabi-sama's Ashikabi?" Akitsu blinked, sounding confused.

"Now wait a second!" Rin objected. "What did I just say about using Sekirei terms for humans?"

"But Landlady-san says that Shirou-san is part Sekirei!" Musubi bounced in her seat. "So of course he needs an Ashikabi!"

"Shirou, you're part alien and never told me?" Rin asked dryly.

"And if Saber-tan is getting energy from both of them, does that make them both her Ashikabi?" I glanced at Matsu, who had a mischievous look in her eyes and wasn't even trying to hide her smirk. Clearly she was just having fun poking at us.

"Everyone knows you can't have two Ashikabi," Homura snapped. "Stop being ridiculous, Matsu!"

"But if Rin is Shirou's Ashikabi, what does that make us?" Tsukiumi asked. "A Sekirei can't have Sekirei." It was an interesting question, and one that made most of the Sekirei pause in thought.

"This is all completely pointless," Rin declared dismissively. "Shirou's definitely human. I'd have noticed by now if he weren't." Considering all of the experiments we'd done to figure out Avalon's abilities, she probably would have. "Besides, I don't want him or Saber to be my Sekirei. I like our relationship just fine the way it is." She rolled her eyes.

"I think you underestimate the depth of our bond." Kazehana spoke for the first time since Rin and Saber had entered the room, her voice cool.

Rin met Kazehana's gaze evenly. "And I think you underestimate the strength of our relationship. I've known Shirou for three years, and during that time we've gone through things together that you couldn't even imagine."

Tension built between the two. I glanced at Miya, expecting her to do something to break it, but she did nothing, only meeting my eyes calmly, as if indicating this was my responsibility. I looked around the table, noting the anxious posture of my Sekirei. Saber's eyes met mine, and she nodded, putting down her chopsticks delicately. "Shirou, if we are to spar before Rin and I retrieve our belongings, we need to begin soon. It seems everyone has finished their meal."

Thank you, Saber. I quickly started gathering dishes. "Time to clean up, everyone."

"Let's hurry so Shirou-san and Saber-san can spar!" Musubi said cheerfully, the tension of the previous few moments already gone completely. "Come on!"

Dishes quickly began heading back into the kitchen. I stopped by Tsukiumi, standing by the sink. "I'm sorry about what Rin and Saber said." That was not the way I wanted to repay her for her gift of a night.

Tsukiumi bit her lip, frowning. "…But it was true."

"As they see it, at least," I agreed. "They don't really know much about Sekirei yet, so they don't understand how you can all work together despite things like that."

"Still, it is not a wife's place to cause disruption in the household." Tsukiumi nodded to herself, resolutely straightening her shoulders. "I shall take more care with what I say."

"Thank you." It seemed an inadequate response to her changing one of her behaviors just so Rin and Saber could be more comfortable, but it was the best I could think of.

Tsukiumi flushed slightly. "Hmph! As if I would allow myself to be less than the best wi- partner for you, Shirou." Tossing her hair, she turned her attention to the sink.

* * *

Half an hour later I found myself in the courtyard, defending against Saber's assault. Sweat dripped down my back as I retreated, my practice blade catching another strike coming for my right side. Saber was definitely not holding back, wielding her shinai with a vengeance, attacking every hole in my defense. I side-stepped, blocked with my right blade, and struck with my left, managing to land a glancing hit on her arm before her sword slipped free from of my block and knocked my left blade aside. We broke and circled, and I tried to get my breath back, feeling my lungs ache. We had already been practicing for ten minutes, and I was feeling the strain of keeping up with Saber for that long.

"The problem I see with the digital workshop idea," Rin commented on the sidelines, engrossed with Matsu's tablet, "is the recording of some aspects of formalcraft."

"Oh?" Matsu asked. She sounded like she was only half paying attention to Rin, trying to split her attention between the magus beside her and the fight her Ashikabi was in.

"Well, there are some symbols and circles that are extremely reactive. When we write them in books we make sure to use materials to make them as stable as possible so they aren't accidentally activated by touch or even ambient mana." Rin tapped the screen in front of her. "I don't know how you could do that here."

"Could electricity set them off?"

"I don't know. Maybe incomplete—"

I lost track of the conversation as Saber advanced again. I met her straight on this time, trying to find a break in her defense I could utilize. I couldn't keep this up forever. Saber parried my attempts with some difficulty, then pushed forward with a powerful strike, breaking my left blade. I almost stumbled before managing to project a new copy of my weapon, put off balance by the sheer strength of her blow, but my right blade managed to come up and stop the attack before it reached my torso.

Saber stepped back, frowning at me. "Break."

"I can keep going," I insisted, as I usually did.

"This is practice, Shirou, not a battle." Saber lowered her weapon, but I still gave it a wary look. Saber had insisted on a projected copy of Tora-shinai rather than an ordinary shinai today. The aura around it was enough to give the battle a bit of an extra edge. I couldn't help but wonder if it was part of the reason Saber seemed a bit more… direct in her corrections than she sometimes was.

Or she could be taking her frustration regarding our current situation out on me. It didn't make a difference either way, really.

"Right." I managed to walk over to the porch, my legs feeling like jelly as I released my reinforcement. Musubi glommed onto me the moment I sat down.

"Shirou-san and Saber-san are so strong!" she cheered, and bounced up to try and hug Saber the same way, only for Saber to neatly sidestep the move. I winced as Musubi fell to the ground, but she just stood right back up, stars in her eyes. "Saber-san, will you train with me too?"

Saber looked her over. "You do not appear to be a swordswoman."

"No! Musubi fights with her fists and her heart!" she declared.

"And lasers," Homura muttered, passing me a cup of water.

"Lasers?" Rin asked, her eyebrows going up.

"I do not have much skill at hand-to-hand combat. Perhaps you should speak with Rin," Saber suggested.

"Rin-san, you fight?" Musubi asked, turning to look at her.

Rin blinked, surprised to find herself the center of attention. Even Miya looked interested. "Well," she demurred, "it's an occupational hazard if you're going to be around Shirou very long."

"We should train together, then!" Musubi said cheerfully.

"I'm only human, you know." Rin crossed her arms, balancing the tablet on her folded legs. "I don't make a habit of confronting those stronger than me with my fists."

I felt my lips quirk. Not a habit, maybe, but… well. There had been Caster.

"But Shirou-san does it," Musubi protested.

"Shirou specializes in that sort of thing. If I had to fight a Sekirei, I'd be trying to take them out from a distance." Rin grabbed the tablet as it started to slide out of her lap.

"Oh." Musubi sagged in disappointment.

"Rin-tan, it's almost nine thirty," Matsu put in.

"Ah, we'd better go, then." Rin passed Matsu the tablet and got to her feet. "We'll be back soon."

Homura coughed a bit to catch my attention, and I looked at her. "That's why you have that sort of style, isn't it?" she asked. "Because you fight enemies like Saber."

"Well, there's really no one else like Saber in existence, but…" I shrugged. "Most things I fight are a lot stronger than me. Controlling the flow of battle gives me one of the few advantages I have." Seeing Homura's dissatisfaction with the answer, I continued, "Look at it this way. I'm a lot better than I used to be, and I'll continue to get better, especially with Saber's help."

"If you insist. But… remember we're here to help you as well." Homura's expression was almost fierce.

I glanced around, noting that it was mirrored on the faces of all my Sekirei, even Kuu. I met Matsu's eyes, remembering the lecture she'd given me. "I will." I would take them with me into battle, but I would not allow them to be hurt — I couldn't. I stood. "I'm going to get cleaned up before I have to go out. I'll see you all in a little bit."

* * *

I was a good repairman, in part because of my magecraft, but between travel and work time, it was nearly six by the time I returned to Izumo House. I checked in with the members of my flock downstairs and asked Akitsu to stay with them before heading to Uzume's old room, where Rin and Saber were now staying. I knocked lightly. "It's me."

"Come in!" I opened the door at Rin's invitation and stepped inside. It seemed they had already unpacked, as their suitcases were safely stowed away, all save one bag. That, I knew, held the rarest and most expensive of the magecraft implements Rin always carried with her, including her gems. That bag wouldn't be unpacked unless it was being used, and it would always go with her if she had to leave the house. Rin had no intention of abandoning it somewhere. "Just got back?" the magus asked. She had the tablet in front of her, Saber at her side. They'd apparently been reviewing something on it when I'd interrupted them.

"Yeah." I let my eyes sweep the room, mostly out of habit, and noticed a staff in the corner. "You finished it?"

"Mmhmm." Rin looked very pleased with herself. "Go ahead. I know you want to see it."

I picked up the staff. Years ago, before we'd left Fuyuki, we'd found a similar one in Rin's house that had belonged to her father. That staff had been attuned to fire. Rin, as an Average One, would have been able to use it, of course, but it only gave her a focus for one of the five elements she could manipulate. Rin had dreamed of making a staff with similar properties, but focused on all four of the major elements. I'd helped her analyze the existing staff and had been surprised at how much the design process for Rin's new weapon had interested me, since my magecraft was focused on replication. Rin, however, had taken it as a sign that I was really a creator by nature.

I gave the staff a bit a twirl. It was nicely balanced, a difficult thing to achieve with how the gems it held were situated. "Are you planning on taking lessons?" An item like this could serve not only as a Mystic Code, but a mundane weapon as well.

"Already started," she confirmed. "It's slow going, but Saber says I'm improving."

I chuckled. "How did you get this through customs?"

"Whatever do you mean, Emiya-kun?" Rin smirked. "That is _clearly _a walking stick."

I glanced at the large gems embedded in it: one by the base to work with earth energies, three more towards the top for fire, water, and wind. "Can't imagine how it could possibly be anything else." I replaced the staff in the corner of the room before moving to join her and Saber on the floor. "Get caught up?"

"We know the basics of the Sekirei, their history, the Jinki, and as much of the Sekirei Plan as Matsu was able to tell us," Saber confirmed. "She has shown us how to access her files on the Sekirei, and we have been studying them to gain a better understanding of our foes."

"Tomorrow afternoon we're supposed to watch some footage of past fights so we can see exactly what Sekirei are capable of." Rin rolled her shoulders. "I can't imagine how long it took you to memorize one hundred and eight of these profiles, not to mention the ones on the Ashikabi."

"There are substantially fewer now," Saber commented. "We should be able to make specific plans for our enemies tomorrow by the latest."

I nodded. "I see you're all moved in."

"Musubi was a great help there," Saber said. "She is very strong."

"Speaking of Musubi, what is wrong with that girl?" Rin looked at me. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed."

"No, I have." I sighed. "She's distorted."

Saber and Rin both froze, exchanging glances. "Shirou, do you mean…?" Saber trailed off.

"She was kidnapped, and Saved by someone who believed in love more than anything else," I summarized. I didn't really feel comfortable talking about it — it wasn't my story to tell.

Hearing the emphasis I placed on that one word, Rin and Saber both winced. "Well, now I know why everything I say rolls right off of her," Rin grumbled. "Talking her out of believing that love conquers all would probably be about as successful as trying to convince you not to save everyone." She sighed. "Is she going to be a danger to herself?"

I shook my head. "She's all right, and Tsukiumi isn't bad at keeping an eye on her." That gave me an opening to discuss something I had been meaning to bring up with them. "Rin, about this morning-"

"Shirou, you're going to tell me you're fine with it, and I'm going to want to hit you," Rin said bluntly. "You're human, they're not, and they need to learn to play by human rules to get by in this world. And don't tell me they can't — Miya, Homura, and Matsu aren't doing a bad job," she pointed out. So, she had noticed that our landlady wasn't human either. I'd wondered how long it would take. "Having a gaggle of girls around you who can't even interact with human society without making people stare is a surefire way to get unwanted attention. If you're lucky it'll only be mortal law enforcement."

If I wasn't, it could be one of half a dozen supernatural beings or organizations, some of which would likely consider Sekirei tasty. I could see Rin's point, but… "You didn't have to be so blunt about it."

"And you could've dealt with it sooner so I didn't have to," she shot back. Standing up, she began shuffling through the clothes she had brought, looking for something.

I bit my lip on a retort. It wasn't like I hadn't tried to get Musubi and Akitsu more adjusted to social norms. It was just difficult to make them stick. Rin, however, wouldn't accept that, and would probably argue I should have done more. It would be a pointless debate that would only make us angry, so I changed the subject. "What are you doing?"

"Since you're home, I thought I'd get changed so we can go for a run before dinner." Rin traded what she'd been wearing for a t-shirt and light pants. "I don't know your usual route."

"I don't have one," I confessed. Running was a habit I'd fallen out of after leaving London, though Rin and I used to go together several times a week to help keep in shape. Rin was a firm believer that a magus needed to fit in body as well as mind, which had led to her doing things like pushups before bed and collecting various pieces of exercise equipment in her basement. We had all worked out there before we had moved to London, though in Saber's case it was more from a general fascination with the devices than any real need to.

"Why not?" Rin asked, looking surprised.

"I tried when I first got here, but with everything else…" The Sekirei Plan, not to mention working and trying to make advances on my own in my workshop, had consumed my life. Not only that, but my runs while in cram school had also been strangely lonely. Rin and I hadn't talked when we went together, mostly focusing on what we were doing, but she had always been _there_. It was similar to how I'd spent time with Saber in the dojo or a practice ring. Running alone always reminded me of what I'd lost. Not only that, but I'd also been reluctant to leave my flock behind, even if they should have been safe in Miya's care.

"Then you begin again today." Saber's voice brooked no argument. "Change and meet Rin downstairs."

"Right. Just one more thing before you go." Rin reached down and tossed me a bag. I looked into it and flushed a little. Why had she tossed me a box of condoms? "Between the whole 'part Sekirei' nonsense and some of the things Matsu's said, I figured Sekirei and humans are cross-fertile," she said matter-of-factly, not looking at me.

"I, uh…" Crap. I hadn't thought about that at all. Then again, Rin had always taken care of that issue in our relationship, and it wasn't possible with Saber because of… well.

"You've been lucky so far, but think about how well you'd be able to evade MBI with babies in tow." Her voice grew a little more lighthearted, but there was still an edge to it, deep down. "Don't worry, I made sure I got you the right size."

She was definitely unhappy, but… I had no idea what I could say to make things better. I helplessly glanced at Saber, but her face was carefully expressionless as her eyes met mine. I sighed. "…I'll just go get changed, then," I said, and quickly retreated, making sure not to leave the box behind. I didn't want to make things worse than they already were.

Stashing the box somewhere out of sight, I grabbed a shirt and pants for exercising, changing into them quickly. "We're going out for a bit," I told my flock when I came downstairs to join Rin. "We'll be back in time to make dinner."

We headed out the door to a chorus of farewells. As we left the yard, Rin stopped and looked over my shoulder. "Shirou, what is she doing?"

I followed her gaze to Akitsu. "Akitsu usually follows me. With the Plan and all, I thought it was a better idea than trying to talk her out of it," I said, a bit defensively.

Rin raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Isn't that weird for you?"

I shrugged; I'd gotten used to it, after all, so it really didn't bother me anymore. Rin gave the Sekirei beside me a glare, and I glanced at her, silently asking her not to make this an issue. Biting her lip, Rin nodded reluctantly, clearly not wanting to relinquish the privacy that had been characteristic of past runs. "In any case, let's get going already." She set off at a light jog, and I followed, Akitsu faithfully trailing behind me.

After about fifteen minutes I realized why Saber had been so insistent I start again.

Physical skill and conditioning were things that required maintenance. During my time in Fuyuki I had regularly exercised even before the Grail War, and after I'd summoned Saber I had only intensified my routine. In Shin Tokyo, though, I had been limited first by the small apartment I'd rented, and then by everything else that had happened. When we had first moved into Izumo House, I'd managed to exercise regularly, mostly conditioning moves I had used in Fuyuki, before I made breakfast in the mornings. But as the Sekirei Plan had picked up, and the size of my flock had increased, I'd found myself with more and more things to handle. Sometimes my morning workouts suffered from the insanity in my life, either being shortened or skipped altogether. And even if I did get a workout, it wasn't the same as training with Saber, who could push me further than I could go on my own.

I wondered if Saber really had been pushing me this morning or if I'd just gotten rusty.

I swore then and there that I wouldn't allow this to happen again. I needed to be in good shape in order to save others and defend my flock. With Rin and Saber here, I could ask for their help in things like strategy and training.

After a little while, we turned back and started to retrace our steps. Rin often glanced back at Akitsu as she steadily jogged behind us, her chains clinking rhythmically in time with our strides. As we came in sight of Izumo House, she dropped back, falling in line with the Sekirei. I tensed, looking back over my shoulder at them.

"Akitsu, can I ask you something?" Not waiting for a response, Rin continued, "Why do you follow Shirou around?"

Akitsu continued to jog for a moment or two before she responded. "Ashikabi-sama is kind and warm. I was broken, and he fixed me."

A curiously complicated expression crossed over Rin's face. "He's good at that," she said in a soft voice. She lengthened her stride to catch up with me. "Shirou, we're going to the store tomorrow."

"Eh?" I blinked at her in surprise.

"Well, she can't keep running in _that_." Rin gestured back towards Akitsu. "We need to get her something more comfortable — something that won't make people stare." She shook her head. "I have no idea what you were thinking, letting her wear _chains_, of all things."

"Ah," said Akitsu. "I like them."

"Well, they're not good for exercising, and if you want to come along, I don't want everyone gawking at us," Rin said crossly. "So tomorrow we go shopping."

Gratitude washed over me. Not only was Rin not forcing Akitsu to stay behind, but she was willing to help her continue to run with us. "Thank you," I said, giving her my most genuine smile.

Rin pinked a bit. "Hmph. Thank me when you get the bill." We entered the inn again, pausing in the genkan to change into our house slippers.

"I need to start dinner," I said, by way of excusing myself.

"Want help?" Rin offered.

I paused. It had been a long time since we'd cooked together. While we were staying in London we'd tried, but the tiny kitchenette in our apartment had made it a lot harder than it had been at either of our homes in Fuyuki. Another set of experienced hands would certainly be welcome, with the number of mouths to feed, though cooking with someone else always made me think of Sakura. I glanced at Rin, noting the bittersweet expression on her face. It seemed I wasn't the only one.

"That would be great." I forcefully shoved the memories aside.

"Maybe someday I'll even whip up the menu. It'd be good for them to try something besides Japanese food," Rin said, smiling slightly as she followed me into the kitchen.

"Just not mapo tofu," I muttered. After my past experiences with it, I never wanted to touch the stuff again.

"Deal."

With two of us working, we were able to finish preparing dinner by our regular time, even with the late start. The meal itself was much calmer than breakfast. Kazehana had apparently warmed up enough to talk with the other members of my flock and managed to exchange a few cordial remarks with Saber, though she and Rin very carefully didn't interact. Besides me, Tsukiumi regularly fidgeted and glanced at the clock. It took me a moment to realize the reason for her anxiousness, and then I nearly hit my head at my own stupidity. Of course. Tsukiumi had tonight to herself.

Soon the meal was completed and we were back in the kitchen. The task of cleaning up seemed to fly by, and it wasn't long until we had returned to the dining room, sipping cups of tea and sharing small talk. Tsukiumi became increasingly tense beside me, and I knew it was time to head upstairs before she did or said something she'd regret. "I think it's time for bed," I said, raising my voice a little.

"Sounds like a good idea," Rin agreed, getting to her feet. We looked at each other, and then Rin glanced at Tsukiumi, who'd risen at the same time I had, and froze. For a moment, her eyes burned with bitter frustration, but then she slammed her mask down. "After all," she continued, as if nothing had happened, "we have to go shopping tomorrow."

"Shopping, Rin-san?" Musubi asked.

"Well, if Akitsu is going to come running with us again she needs better clothes for it."

The Sekirei brightened at the mention of physical training. "Musubi wants to go too!"

"Why don't we work that out tomorrow?" Saber suggested. "For tonight, I think it would be wise for Rin and me to study those profiles some more before bed." She moved to the magus's side, Kuu trailing her. "Shall we put this one to bed together tonight, Rin? I believe you might know a good bedtime story for her."

"Me?" Rin looked flustered. "I'm not really a good storyteller—"

"Please, Rin-neechan!" Kuu begged.

I took advantage of the distraction my youngest Sekirei was making and quickly headed upstairs to my room with Tsukiumi. She lingered near the door as I laid out the futon, acutely aware of her watching me.

Finally finished, I sat, turning to look at Tsukiumi. She was apparently deep in thought, chewing her thumb as she often did when she was nervous. "Um…" I cleared my throat. "Aren't you coming to bed?"

Tsukiumi started, blushing furiously at the question. "O-of course!" She smartly marched across the room and settled on the futon, trying to mask the uncertainty in her eyes.

To be honest, I was feeling a little uncertain myself — pretty stupid, considering it wasn't like I was inexperienced with sex, but I knew Tsukiumi had been skittish about the idea when I'd first winged her. And even if she'd seemed more than willing the last time we'd, ah, discussed it… well. I had some experience dealing with tsunderes claiming to be more prepared for certain things than they actually were.

I firmly pushed that memory aside. I didn't want to compare the women in my life to each other like that; they didn't deserve it. Even so, though, that didn't mean prior experience wouldn't be useful.

"Tsukiumi," I began, and hesitated. I had the feeling that if I outright told her 'we don't have to have sex if you're not comfortable with it' I'd just get yelled at, but I wanted to say _something_ now, because I knew the further things got the harder it would be to stop. "We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with," I finally said.

Tsukiumi gave me a flat look. "Shirou, you are my hus—" She stopped, bit her lip, and corrected herself "—my Ashikabi. I-I am yours to do with as you please." Flushing again, she ducked her head, glancing away. "And… I would not mind you holding me again as you did before."

I swallowed hard, remembering the last time I'd touched her. "All right," I murmured, and reached out to pull her to me. I would do my best by her and give her the attention she wanted and deserved. It was a small enough way to give her happiness.

* * *

I awoke to the feel of Tsukiumi's body against mine, the Sekirei deeply asleep. I carefully eased away from her before dressing. Last night had been… awkward. Not only had it been Tsukiumi's first time, but despite all my efforts not to think about it I had been acutely aware that Rin and Saber were right down the hall, and that they more likely than not knew exactly what we were doing.

I couldn't stop seeing the looks on their faces when I'd left for bed with someone else.

It wasn't fair, though, not to give Tsukiumi what she had wished for. Though Rin and Saber might debate the wording, I _was_ essentially married to my Sekirei. They had a right to ask for certain things, even if I wasn't sure I loved them. They were all physically stunning, so it wasn't as if it were difficult to find them attractive…

I forced my thoughts aside, headed downstairs, and started breakfast.

This morning I had the kitchen to myself. I worked quickly, knowing that all too soon I would have not only hungry Sekirei but also a hungry Saber to feed. I listened as I chopped, simmered, and cooked, hearing the house start to come alive as its occupants woke and readied themselves for the day ahead. I was almost finished with my preparations when I heard footsteps entering the kitchen. I looked up, surprised to see Rin and Saber there, mostly because of the time.

Before I could say anything, Rin marched over and seized me by the apron, yanking me down for a long, deep kiss. I almost dropped my spatula in my haste to wrap an arm around her as she pressed her body against mine. She slowly pulled back, a smirk on her lips. "Good morning, Shirou."

"Uh. Morning," I responded automatically, trying to calm my breathing.

"Well, Saber?" Rin stepped away from me. "Why don't you show Shirou your new outfit?"

Saber pinked but stepped forward, and at Rin's urging, turned. I felt my breath catch. The black jeans hugged her hips, accenting her slim figure. Her shirt was blue, and from the front seemed relatively modest, but as she turned the back was revealed to be completely open except for thick ribbons at the neck and waist, the only things that held the shirt to her body. My hand twitched, wanting to touch the exposed skin, knowing the reaction I would get from running my fingers along her spine. "It is more revealing than I am used to," Saber admitted, "but Rin thought you would like it."

Like it? This was torture. I glanced at Rin, whose knowing smirk only grew. "Why is it only Wednesday?" I muttered.

"Because Wednesday comes between Tuesday and Thursday, obviously," she replied matter-of-factly, and snatched a serving dish and headed out to the dining room before I could respond.

"It seems Rin is in a roguish mood this morning," Saber told me.

I carefully placed a stack of dishes into her hands. "Thanks for the warning," I grumbled. Great. Not something I needed to start out my day.

Musubi and Matsu soon entered, helping us ferry the rest of the meal out to the table. When everything was finally in place I sat down, this time with Akitsu at my right. Saber was still by Kuu's side, but this time she had Musubi on her left. Rin was wedged between Matsu and Homura, asking both of them about their abilities. Tsukiumi was quiet on Akitsu's other side for most of the meal. I looked at her with concern. It wasn't like her to be so withdrawn. "Is something wrong?"

She looked up at me. "Of course not!" she said in a clipped tone that cut off all further discussion, and went back to brooding over her breakfast.

I frowned at her response, but decided to let the issue drop for now. I didn't want to force her to talk about it in front of everyone else, especially if it might've had something to do with last night. Matsu, on the other hand… "Matsu, are you all right?" I asked, concerned. She wasn't quite as animated as usual, looking visibly tired.

"Matsu is fine, Shirou-tan!" she assured me. "Rin-tan just mentioned some interesting things yesterday, so Matsu was up late trying to figure out a better way to catalogue magus information."

"Don't make a habit of it," I cautioned. I needed her sharp.

"Matsu won't, Shirou-tan," she promised, and grinned. "Well, we all know Tsukiumi-tan had a good time last night!"

"Wh— why you…!" Tsukiumi flushed, roused from her pensive mood by Matsu's barb. "How dare you speak so openly about my private time with Shirou!? Water—!"

Miya glanced at me and raised her eyebrows, and I nodded. "Ohoho." The landlady smiled, and darkness began to gather behind her. I caught Homura's frantic look, but just shook my head slightly. Just because I _could _counter Miya didn't mean I always would, especially when the culprit deserved it. "Both violence and lewd conversation are—"

To my left, there was a sudden rush of prana. All eyes turned to stare at Saber, who had instantly shot to her feet and was now armed and armored, Excalibur held invisibly before her in a guard position. In response, faster than it took to draw in a breath, Miya dropped her mask, hands open before her in a motion of peace. The two stared at each other for a long moment, silently measuring each other.

"Saber, it's okay!" I quickly interjected. "That's just Asama-san's way of imposing order."

"Wait, what _was_ that?" Rin asked.

"Ara?" Miya raised a hand to her mouth, but her gaze never left Saber, who'd dismissed her weapon and armor but maintained her wary posture, her eyes focused on Miya with hawklike intensity. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Tohsaka-san."

"You think I don't know a mystery when it happens right in front of me?" Rin huffed, then leaned over the table, studying Miya. "Some sort of apparition was forming - can you do it again?"

Homura's jaw dropped. "Wh— why would you want to see it again!?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Are all magi this crazy?"

"I'm not crazy!" Rin objected. "I just want to know how it works!"

"Just like Shirou-tan!" Matsu started laughing.

Rin turned to stare at me, hard. "I want your notes."

"They were destroyed when the Fraga attacked," I said apologetically. I caught the glare that Homura was giving me, unsubtly reminding me of my own promise not to teach anyone else how the technique worked, and nodded slightly, causing her to relax. Of course, I fully suspected Rin would figure it out in half the time I had, so the end result would be the same in either case.

"Hmmm." Rin pursed her lips thoughtfully. "So that's how Miya enforces the house rules?"

"Don't even think about it!" I warned her, recognizing the glint in her eyes. Rin could go a bit overboard when it came to research, and the last thing I wanted was to provoke Miya. I valued my kitchen time.

She scowled at me. "How else am I going to figure it out? Studying a phenomenon in action is critical to—"

"Weren't you going shopping today?" I interrupted.

Rin narrowed her eyes. "Yes. That doesn't mean I can't study it _later_, though."

"Perhaps, Rin, it would be wise to take all of the Sekirei with us. I believe they may all benefit from training." Rin and I turned in unison to look at Saber, who'd finally relaxed. "You have not been doing team practice, have you?" I shook my head. "Then it would be good to start now," she declared.

"This is going to get really expensive," Rin mused. "The bras alone are going to cost at least twenty to thirty thousand yen. Where's the best lingerie shop around here?"

"W-wait a second!" I threw up my hands in a stopping motion. "Why would you need to go to a place like that? I thought you were just getting Akitsu something different to run in!"

"They obviously need good sports bras, idiot!" Rin snapped. "How they don't have backaches already I don't even know!"

"Probably a difference in our biology," Matsu suggested.

I shifted uneasily. I had only been in a lingerie store once, and that was still up on my list of most embarrassing experiences ever. If Saber hadn't been so insistent — and Rin hadn't encouraged her, the minx — I never would've gone in the first place. The idea of going with my entire flock was more than a bit terrifying. "I don't think I should go with you," I finally said. "Isn't this more of a girl thing?"

"Well, you can't expect _me_ to pay for it all." Rin crossed her arms and glared at me.

I made a face. Yes, the money for it could definitely be a problem. I was paying rent for two rooms already, and was trying to save some money on the side for our eventual departure. MBI dropped off copies of the Sekirei's regular outfits whenever they were destroyed, but they didn't seem to have a lot of variety. "Maybe this isn't a good idea after all…"

"What about the MBI card, Shirou-tan?" Matsu suggested. Rin looked at her curiously. "Matsu knows Shirou-tan doesn't want to use it because he doesn't want to be tracked, but it isn't like we aren't being tracked anyway." One of her hands went to rest on her neck, reminding me of the transmitter in her spine. "There shouldn't be anything too incriminating about clothing purchases, should there?"

"No," I admitted. Workout clothes were hardly something that should cause flags. I was reluctant to use the card, but it might be for the best in this situation.

"Wait, what's this card do?" Rin asked.

"MBI gives each Sekirei and Ashikabi an unlimited credit card to make purchases with, to fund their activities in the Plan," Homura explained.

"And you haven't been _using_ it?" Rin stared at me like I'd grown an extra head. "Do you have any idea what you could've _done_ with it?"

"Buy up all the jewels in the city?" I asked dryly.

Rin flushed. "As if there wouldn't be so much dross among them," she sniffed, and pounded her fist on the table. "Still, Shirou! We could invest in all sorts of things—"

"I don't like being tied to MBI any more than I have to be," I countered.

"I think Matsu's right," Kazehana offered. "Clothing isn't likely to cause any suspicion."

"You want to go too?" I was surprised. I didn't think Kazehana would want to go anywhere with Rin, considering the friction that was still evident between them.

Kazehana smirked. "Let's just say I want to pick out something special for Saturday."

I carefully didn't look at Rin or Saber. Saturday. Kazehana's day. And with the new rules in place…

Saturday was going to be interesting.

"Matsu, I'll give my card to you. Can you make sure that it works even if I'm not there?" I asked. Matsu nodded. It wasn't long after that till everyone finished the meal and we'd cleaned up. Most of my flock went with Saber and Rin, Musubi excitedly offering to carry Saber while they roof-hopped. I headed upstairs to find the tablet. I had a project of my own I wanted to try.

* * *

It shouldn't have, but the explosion took me completely by surprise.

"Shirou!" Hands grasped my arms and helped me into a sitting position. "Are you all right?"

"Fine." I shook my head, trying to clear out the ringing in my ears. It took me a moment to recognize the person supporting me. Homura was the only member of my flock who had stayed home from the shopping trip, assuring Saber and Rin that she didn't need anything. When I had left Izumo House to take a short trip into the woods we'd used for Norito practice, she had insisted on accompanying me since Akitsu was gone.

And from the size of the crater in front of me, it was a good thing I had decided to experiment here, and not in the inn. Miya would have murdered me.

"Shirou, what were you doing?" Homura let go as I regained my balance.

I looked around quickly and managed to find the piece of paper I had been using for notes. Thankfully it was intact. "Well, Matsu's been helping me with my magecraft, and I wanted to try a few things out. Since I haven't replaced my workshop, I thought this would be the best place." I'd barely had a chance to investigate the digital workshop Matsu had made me before Rin and Saber had arrived, and since I had a free day and everyone else had left, it seemed like a good time to see what exactly it could do. I'd spent the morning playing with the tablet, writing up a list of possible rune combinations to try out. Some had worked exactly as I had expected. A few had been duds, not doing anything at all.

This was the first one that had exploded in my face.

I stared at the characters on the page. I had no idea _why_ it had reacted the way it had. I knew I had typed in the right terms, and it was supposed to be a warding boundary field, not an offensive spell…

"Did you have these types of problems in your workshop?" Homura sounded resigned.

"Nothing this large," I admitted. I glanced at the crater again. It was small compared to the one Musubi had made, but it was still nothing to sneeze at. "I hadn't had a lot of time to try new combinations before Matsu came up with the search engine." I wished I'd brought the tablet with me so I could try other combinations, but with the overcast sky, I didn't want to get it wet if it rained. Though with the explosion it was just as well I'd left it home.

"Doesn't look like it's working very well," my companion said drily.

I shook my head. It _did_ work, just not perfectly. "It's a start, but I'll have to be careful how I use it." It was a powerful tool, but one I couldn't rely on in a rush. Thankfully I hadn't actually been attempting to ward anything besides an empty field. If I had used it on a house…

Well. Best not to think about it.

Homura went to retrieve the book she'd dropped when she had rushed to my side. Silent for a few minutes, she turned the novel over in her hands. "She isn't what I expected," she finally said.

"Huh?" I glanced over at the book. It was the one Saber had signed Monday night. "Oh. Saber."

Homura nodded. "I never thought I'd actually meet King Arthur, but… she isn't what I envisioned at all." Being a female version of a king universally regarded as male would do that, I thought. Homura thumbed through the pages. "She's so… normal."

"She is now, most of the time," I agreed. When she had first been summoned things had been different. She'd been focused on the Holy Grail War above all else, but after three years in this time she had mostly adapted. For a moment, I thought of the scene this morning. I had stared up at Saber as she challenged Miya, ready to defend me and anyone else who needed it. It had brought back memories of our first meeting, where she had stood over me before chasing after Lancer and saving me from another death. "Most of the time," I repeated softly.

Homura's eyes met mine, and understanding flashed between us. Saber might be normal most of the time, but inside she was still the King of Knights. She could fit in to today's society, but she would never stop being what she was.

Not unlike the Sekirei beside me.

Homura glanced at her watch. "It's getting close to lunch time. We should probably head back."

I nodded and stuffed my notes into my pocket. I only hoped everyone would be back in time for lunch. I could remember being the beast of burden for some shopping trips that had taken all day.

When we returned to the inn we were greeted by the cheerful bustle of my flock. Several of them were flitting in and out of the kitchen, putting various foodstuffs away. "Welcome back, Shirou-san!" Musubi said cheerfully.

"I thought you were going clothes shopping." I automatically started helping out.

"We did, but Miya-san sent us with a list of things we needed," Musubi replied. "They were having a good sale today!" She darted around the kitchen, putting away vegetables, then stopped abruptly in front of me. "Look, Shirou-san!" She bounced up and down several times. "They don't move as much anymore!" She gestured excitedly to her chest.

I really, _really_ needed to work on discretion with her.

"That's… very good, Musubi," I managed.

"I wish I'd known about this months ago! This is going to make it so much easier to fight!"

Rin entered, getting herself a glass of water. "Men don't think about those sorts of things, Musubi."

"Well, thank you very much, Rin-san!" Musubi smiled brilliantly at her before she ran out. "I'm going to go train with Landlady-san until lunch!"

"She's certainly excitable." Rin shook her head, but there was a fondness on her face that I hadn't seen before.

"And you are evil," I told her. "Did you put her up to that?"

Rin gave me an entirely innocent look that I didn't believe for a second. "Why, Emiya-kun, why on earth would I do _that_?"

"You really are in a mischievous mood today," I muttered. "Are they ready for lunch?"

"That's why we headed back," Rin admitted. She fell into place beside me as I started sorting out the food still on the counter. "The Sekirei eat more than Saber does."

"I do not eat that much," Saber protested as she entered the kitchen, carrying a large bag of rice. "Hunger is the enemy and must be kept at bay whenever possible."

"Hunger is the enemy!" Kuu repeated, following close on Saber's heels, a smaller bag in her hands.

I blinked. The girl's dark blond hair, with the exception of her bangs in the front, had been tied up into a bun like her new idol's, fastened with a green ribbon. I glanced at Saber, who pinked. "She asked if we could do it, and it seemed like a simple enough request."

"Getting her a few hair ribbons really didn't cost much," Rin added.

"Kuu is pretty like Sa-neechan!" the Sekirei announced. "Do you like it, Oniichan?"

"It looks very good on you," I assured her. Kuu beamed at me and quickly hugged one of my legs before scampering off into the other room. "She's really taken to you," I commented to Saber.

"I am not sure why," she replied, shaking her head. "I am not very good with children, but I shall do the best I can with her. I do not get the impression that your other Sekirei are good role models." Saber frowned.

Well, she had a point there. I was already concerned about what growing up in... well, in a harem was doing to her mindset, considering some of the games she had invented for her stuffed animals. "Thank you," I said sincerely.

Saber smiled. "It is nothing, Shirou. I trust we will practice later?"

"How about after lunch?" I suggested, more than happy to start my reconditioning. "We can go for our run after dinner today, Rin."

"Sounds good, though if we're bringing everyone along, it might be better to go someplace relatively unoccupied." Rin glanced at Saber. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Saber nodded. "I believe it would be wise. I do not know how much the Sekirei can develop their abilities physically, but if nothing else, it would be a simple activity to help them all work together."

I nodded, though I made a mental note to explain to my girlfriends the levels of synchronicity the bond seemed to give my flock sometime soon. I didn't disagree with the idea, however. If the Sekirei could strengthen themselves physically it would only help them. Matsu and Kuu were particularly vulnerable in that area. While I would never ask either to fight, it would be helpful if they could at least get away from danger.

"After we get back from running, I want to discuss the situation with the Jinki and go over all the magus activity you've encountered in detail." Rin finished her water and leaned against the counter. "I've thought about your plan, but I'm not sure it'll work."

"Why not?" I asked as I started making lunch.

"For one thing, we don't know there isn't another surprise like the tracking chips in the Sekirei." Rin tapped her fingers on the cabinet closest to her. "It's standard magus practice to make sure that if a subject escapes your control it can't survive on its own, one way or another."

"They have a plan to shoot down any escaping Ashikabi and pick up the terminated Sekirei," I pointed out.

"Matsu said as much, but I wouldn't put it past them to have some sort of poison waiting in the Sekirei to be activated either. From what I can understand, they've gained a lot of advanced knowledge from the Sekirei's ship. That means we can't predict what they can or can't do."

So they might have planted some sort of biological bomb in the Sekirei. I nodded in acknowledgment of the possibility. I knew more about technology now than I had before, but I was hardly an expert. "Something to have Matsu look into."

"She might be able to find it in herself or others, which is my hope," agreed Rin. "I don't think we should trust all the information she can get to. I have a hard time believing they'd leave it all out there for any Sekirei with her abilities to tap."

"She's the only one left in the running anymore, since brain types are rare, but I agree with you. I've thought the same thing," I admitted.

"I have another idea on how to deal with them, but I'm still working out the specifics." I looked at Rin, interested. Something in her tone suggested it might be more permanent than just hiding them. "I said I'm working on it, so it isn't worth mentioning yet." She shook her head. "Even if we do run, though, we can't run forever. We need to go to the Clock Tower at some point, or things are going to get ugly."

I swallowed. "Rin, I can't go back there. You know they'll take one look at the Sekirei and I'll never see them again."

"Maybe, maybe not," came her reply. "We wouldn't have to necessarily bring them, after all. They could stay in Fuyuki."

I shifted a little uneasily and didn't say anything. It was a reasonable plan, but not one that made me comfortable. On the other hand, Rin did need to go back to the Clock Tower with me if we didn't want to be hunted for the rest of our lives. She had made it clear in the past that she hadn't intended to stay in London forever, only long enough to make connections and build up her own magecraft to the point she could focus on her own research rather than learning from others, so it wasn't as if my flock and I would never be together again. Still, the idea troubled me.

Rin sighed, then continued, "In any case, we need hiding places for the Jinki. I thought we could stash one in the chest at my house, but I wouldn't want to put them all in there."

I wasn't keen on that idea at all. I thought I knew which chest she meant; it had caused us all sorts of problems already. "I thought about giving one to the fae," I said instead of addressing her idea.

"It's worth a try," Rin agreed, flashing a grin at Saber. "We know someone who has connections, after all." She pushed off the counter. "I'll let you get started cooking. I want to work on those wards I started Monday."

I nodded and turned my hands to my task. It'd be good idea to have a strategy session together. "Just like old times," I murmured, and focused on the daikon in front of me.

* * *

**Notes**:

We swear there will be no conversations over a meal next chapter. It's just such a convenient setting. We have no idea if you could plant some sort of remote detonated poison capsule in the Sekirei, but it doesn't seem completely implausible since they're supposed to have super tech in this universe, plus Rin and Shirou don't really know what they're talking about, so they could be completely wrong. :3 We love fallible character point of view.

Also, we have no idea why, but we couldn't find/remember a single instance of Shirou training instead of fighting in IF. Could never be mentioned, but you'd think it would've come up at least once…

Thanks to Tenrou29 and SatireSwift for their continued feedback.

**Edit: **Ascarde had sharper eyes than us. There are some mentions that Shirou exercises in the morning before breakfast back before Yukari moves into Izumo House. However, since we weren't the only ones who found it weird it wasn't mentioned more, we thought it seemed plausible that he hadn't been getting it in as regularly. The chapter has been edited to account for this. Thanks to Ascarde for letting us know.

As far as the thing with Matsu's digital workshop, machine translators are notorious for flubbing nuances. We find it hard to believe a rune translator would be perfect all the time.


	3. Chapter 3

Thursday morning I woke with Akitsu one my one side and Musubi (whom Akitsu had graciously allowed to share her night after she'd given her own to Tsukiumi) on the other. Akitsu's eyes were on me as I moved away from Musubi. "Good morning, Akitsu."

"Good morning, Ashikabi-sama," Akitsu responded, shifting so I could get up. I did so and dressed quickly before heading downstairs to make breakfast. Yesterday had been busy. Saber and I had gotten caught up in our sparring and ended up practicing later than we had intended. The Sekirei's first run had been interesting too. In the end we'd taken them out to where Tsukiumi and Musubi had demonstrated their Noritos. The Sekirei had run laps around the area, each at their own speed, while Rin and I had taken things at a more human level.

Most of my flock had taken to the exercise relatively well, but Matsu had hated every second of it. It was understandable, since she was a brain type and thus less gifted in physical pursuits. Unfortunately, it had shown just how much she needed the exercise.

I suspected she'd try to come up with an excuse to miss tonight's practice. Too bad she'd already left the house when we had confronted Higa, or she would have undoubtedly cited the need to remain hidden. I'd explained my reasons to her, emphasizing the need for her to be able to get away in a tough situation. Matsu had agreed my logic was sound, but that didn't mean she liked it.

We'd lost track of time, however, and had returned to Izumo House later than expected. As a result, Rin, Saber, and I had only gone over different options for dealing with the Jinki. I was still in favor of my original plan to run. Saber, on the other hand, disagreed, suggesting we actually try to win the Plan and gather all eight of the Jinki to make sure we didn't leave any under others' control, given their dangerous potential. Rin could see the benefits of both sides, but wanted to make sure that we checked my Sekirei and the Jinki for any sort of tracer, poison, or other surprise we didn't know about, regardless what we did. She was mostly concerned with where we'd put them so they couldn't be found.

I could see Saber's point, but didn't like the idea of staying in the Game longer than I had to. Every day more Sekirei were separated from their Ashikabi, and if we did stay around till the final round, would my Sekirei have to fight each other?

I couldn't choose one to support above the others.

We had sat up late arguing the value of each other's ideas until we were all yawning. As a result, we hadn't gotten a chance to go over my magical encounters. Rin and Saber were reluctant to wait any longer, especially since I had work appointments most of today, so I'd made a compromise.

Once breakfast was done, I went back upstairs, carrying two plates of food. Akitsu, who had followed me downstairs as was her habit, carried two more. I tapped Rin and Saber's door with my foot. "I have breakfast."

Saber opened the door immediately, smiling softly as she saw me. "Good morning, Shirou."

"'Morning," I answered, returning her smile as she stepped aside so Akitsu and I could enter.

"Hold up!" Matsu came down the hallway, a plate of her own in one hand, a tray with drinks in the other. She stepped inside before Saber closed the door. "Thanks."

"Of course." Saber nodded and sat.

My eyebrows went up a bit when I saw Rin. The magus was only half dressed in a pair of leggings and a skirt. "You get up too early," she complained as she pulled on her bra.

Matsu laughed. "Looks like Rin-tan wants to get an early start on tonight."

Rin flushed, only then seeming to notice Matsu's and Akitsu's presence, and quickly pulled on her shirt. "You could've waited until I was dressed."

"I _did_ knock." I carefully settled and started passing out plates. It felt strange to be eating away from most of my flock, but I didn't want Musubi or Kuu here for this conversation — Musubi because anything I mentioned in front of her was fairly likely to be repeated, and Kuu because of her age. Saber and Rin settled on either side of me. "Are we ready?"

"Matsu thinks so, Shirou-tan." Matsu slipped her tablet out of its carrying pouch and pulled up a file. She had started taking notes on our meetings yesterday and apparently took her job very seriously. I'd offered to let her sleep in, but she'd been adamant about being here.

Rin grabbed her glass of milk from the tray while I took one of the teacups. I began by summarizing my fight with the Archibald, making sure to mention Akitsu's critical contribution. Then I talked about the Fraga, highlighting how she'd managed to counter the Sekirei's powers. Rin nodded, looking thoughtful. "It's too bad you weren't able to get the runes off of her."

"I couldn't take the risk," I said, though I too regretted it. "As it was, blocking out the satellite feed was suspicious enough that MBI sent someone to check on us." Even having Matsu just take pictures would've taken time we simply hadn't had.

"You must be pleased about Fragarach, though," Rin teased as she finished eating. "That's an impressive weapon to have."

"In limited circumstances, but it certainly could come in handy," I agreed.

"Those have been your only major battles, then?" Saber asked.

"With magi, yeah," I confirmed.

"But Shirou-tan, what about the Third Match and the fight with Higa?" Matsu said. "Those were both major fights."

"Not against magi," I reminded her. "I was fighting Sekirei there."

"Who was Higa?" asked Saber.

"One of the strongest Ashikabi. He kidnapped my sister and asked for a Jinki as ransom. I had to take him out." I shrugged. "We didn't actually fight much there. We basically broke in, rescued her, and left."

"You have a sister?" Rin looked a bit surprised. "You've mentioned your mother, but I didn't know you had found other relatives." I had no idea how to explain Yukari to Rin and Saber, so I just nodded in response.

"Still, it would be good to know about this match, if you were in actual combat there," Saber said. "Knowing your own capabilities, I will have a better understanding of our foes'."

"Matsu can do better than that!" The hacker flipped her tablet around. "The matches are broadcast, and Matsu always makes a recording."

"…they're showing aliens fighting each other on TV." Rin sounded a little faint. I had a feeling that her deeply ingrained magus tendency towards secrecy was giving her fits over the idea.

Matsu pulled up the video and set the tablet on the floor, allowing us all to see. I was impressed by the quality of the recording. I'd seen the first and second matches on TV, of course, but knowing from my own that there hadn't been a camera or a mike to be seen made it all the more remarkable.

"I'd forgotten about that," I mused aloud as I asked the members of the Disciplinary Squad what types of baked goods they'd like. I quickly made some mental notes. I'd intended to send them much earlier than this, but had been distracted by Yukari's kidnapping. "Guess I need to look up a recipe or two."

"Matsu knows a website that has a bunch."

"Really?" I perked up at that. I didn't tend to use cookbooks often, preferring to work things out myself, but sometimes having a recipe to start with helped. "What kind?"

Matsu laughed. "It's the internet, Shirou-tan. Matsu's sure there're recipes for any kind of food Shirou-tan would want."

"I must say I never expected Shirou's cooking ability to have tactical value," Saber mused. "Still, it is a good idea to have the administrators on your side."

"Especially when they actually do their jobs," I agreed.

"Who's this Karasuba they mentioned?" Rin asked as the video continued to play.

"She's another Sekirei," I told her. "Kinda reminds me of Lancer, actually."

"Don't tell me you're trying to get _another_ one," Rin grumbled.

"No — well, she reacted to me, but she didn't want me to wing her."

"Can't imagine why, if you're trying to kill her." Rin shook her head.

"If she is like Lancer, that might have been part of the appeal," Saber pointed out. "We must watch out for this one, Rin. Shirou had an unnatural like of Lancer when were allied."

"No I didn't," I protested. I'd just liked how effective he was at teasing both of them.

Kakizaki, Toyotama, and Ichiya came onscreen, and I was treated to the sight of my own savage smile. No wonder Seo called me 'scary.' Rin and Saber exchanged a glance, frowning, but didn't say anything.

As Akitsu's former status was brought up, Rin looked interested. "Matsu, what's a scrap? You didn't explain that."

"There aren't many," she replied. "MBI says that they winged themselves. They aren't supposed to be able to have Ashikabi."

Rin glanced at Akitsu. "But she does have one. How'd you pull that off, Shirou?"

"A… more direct prana transfer." I fidgeted. I really hadn't wanted to tell her about that.

Rin's eyes blazed. "I see."

I winced at the cool tone in her voice. "I don't think scraps winged themselves," I began, hoping to distract her. "MBI adjusted the Sekirei to make them weaker since they can hurt their Ashikabi with their natural strength. I think those designated as scraps were made that way because the adjustment process didn't succeed."

"Interesting…" Rin's anger faded a bit as she pondered the explanation I had given her, and I let out a quiet breath. Distraction successful. Her eyes widened as Akitsu used her Norito. "That's— territory creation! Are all Noritos like that?"

"No, Akitsu's is stronger. Probably because she was a scrap." On Saber's other side, Akitsu straightened a bit, looking proud of herself.

"Shirou, don't tell me you're about to fight those two on your own," Rin said, eyes narrowed as the me on screen ordered Akitsu to leave Ichiya and Toyotama alone.

"I won't tell you, then," I quipped.

Rin glared at me. Saber, meanwhile, bent over the screen, studying the fight intently. She nodded to herself as I used the surroundings to aid me. "I was under the impression that most Sekirei are not well trained."

"They aren't. These two were an exception."

"Shirou," Rin began, looking thoughtful, "did you develop the Jinki snatch-and-grab plan before or after this fight?"

"Before. Why?" I asked.

"Why are you showing off so much, then?" Rin pointed at the video, where I was fighting the two Sekirei. "Wouldn't it have been better to keep your head down and try to keep MBI from taking notice of you if you intend to run away from them?"

"That was actually part of my plan, to get their attention. I _wanted_ them to be wary of me," I explained.

"Well, that seems stupid. It would've been easier to escape if they had no idea you were anything special." Rin folded her arms.

"Allowing one's opponents to overestimate you can be a viable strategy, but the same can be said of the reverse," Saber agreed, her eyes still trained on the battle. "I cannot tell which might be preferable in this case."

"You should have been keeping your head down so the Association didn't find you anyway— ouch." Rin winced as Kanshou sliced into Toyotama. "And you have a Sekirei with territory creation. Shouldn't that have been enough to take care of them?"

"I wanted to be the one to fight them. They didn't deserve anything less than a level five termination," I growled.

"They both helped blackmail Sekirei and force them to do Kakizaki and Higa's will," Matsu spoke up, defending my actions. "Shirou-tan first fought them when they were trying to capture Tsukiumi-tan so she could be winged."

"You can wing someone forcefully— Oh, don't tell me— " Rin interrupted herself, her eyes riveted to the screen.

"…Shirou, stabbing yourself is not a valid defensive technique," Saber said, shaking her head disapprovingly.

"It worked," I protested.

"Still, that is not an acceptable tactic. I have clearly been too lax with you." Saber gave me a dark look. "We shall— who is this?"

"That's Karasuba." Her entrance wasn't any less impressive on film than it had been in person. Watching her avoid Akitsu's attacks was equally amazing. I absentmindedly rubbed my knee as I watched myself block her attack. The memory of it made it sting.

"How bad was the injury?" Saber asked, her eyes flickering quickly over the screen.

"Shattered my knee," I admitted. We watched as first I threatened my own life, and then Kazehana made her move, taking Karasuba's own Ashikabi's life into her hands.

"Hm. What happens to a Sekirei when their Ashikabi is killed?" Rin asked.

"They're terminated," Matsu answered. Beside her, Akitsu shifted a bit, giving the tablet a disapproving look. I didn't think she was pleased that her own abilities had been outmatched so effortlessly.

Either that or she was upset about my injury.

"And threatening your own life stopped her how?" Rin asked as Matsu picked up the tablet and stopped the video.

"Musubi has an agreement with Karasuba to be the last two standing. At that time they're supposed to duel. If I went down, she wouldn't have that chance," I explained.

"I see."

"Kazehana showed good initiative," Saber reflected. "She must have combat experience."

I nodded, then glanced at my watch. "I only have a few more minutes before Seo is going to pick me up, so—"

"Matsu will explain the Discipline Squad," the hacker promised.

"How much practice did it take Tsukiumi and Akitsu to combining their powers like that?" Rin asked, glancing back at the screen.

"Well, we talked about it as a possibility before the fight, but they didn't have any time to practice." Rin and Saber both stared at me. "Ashikabi and Sekirei are linked by a psychic bond. It seems to help them work together. Having more Sekirei is supposed to make an Ashikabi more powerful. It's actually been helping with my circuits."

"A psychic bond?" To my surprise, Rin didn't look interested. She mostly looked worried. "Have you noticed any other effects besides on your circuits?"

"We all have moments where we react to each other without talking about it, or we say the same thing at the same time. I can't think of anything else at the moment." I shrugged. "It is helpful in fights."

"Karasuba was able to overcome even their combined attack, though," Matsu mused. "It'll be difficult to defeat her."

Because even if we did run, they might very well send Karasuba after us. One way or another, we would likely end up crossing swords with the Black Sekirei. And I didn't think Musubi would want it any other way.

"I shall be her opponent," Saber declared. Everyone turned to look at her. "I am your sword, Shirou. It is only appropriate."

"You're Rin's familiar now," I reminded her.

"I'll lend her to you. No interest even," Rin joked. "I think Saber's right, though — she's the one who has the best chance of beating her. I doubt this Karasuba has fought anyone on her level before."

I frowned, not liking it. I was about to protest, but a knock on the door interrupted me before I could. "Shirou-san, Seo-san is here," Musubi called.

I stood quickly, Akitsu following me a moment later. "I have to go. We'll talk later."

"We'll get the dishes," Rin promised.

"Matsu, is it possible to review the footage with Karasuba in it?" Saber asked. "I wish to study her style."

"Sure." Matsu started fiddling with the device as I moved towards the door. "I'll see if I can find any other videos with her in them."

I closed the door behind me and hurried downstairs, determined to make it to work on time. I'd have to talk to Saber about this when I got home. I didn't have any doubt in her abilities, but I didn't want her to underestimate Karasuba either. She was dangerous, and I didn't want Saber hurt.

* * *

By the end of my last job of the day, I was happy to be heading home, barely making it before dinner should have started. I hoped that either Rin or Miya had taken care of the meal preparation. As much as I loved to cook, I didn't want everyone to be hungry because I'd gotten back late.

"Why should I leave? Unlike you, I've been with Shirou for three years! If anyone should leave, it should be you!"

My eyes widened at Rin's shout, and I hurried into the dining room. Kazehana and Rin were standing close to each other, their shoulders tense. Rin's arms were folded across her chest, her head tilted up to glare at the taller woman.

"You underestimate the Sekirei bond. _We_ will never leave our Ashikabi. " Kazehana's voice was cold.

"You think I'm going to leave Shirou? You have no idea what we've been through together!" Rin snapped, anger on her face.

I glanced around the room. Homura, Tsukiumi, Musubi, and Matsu were already here, all four seemingly frozen in shock. Saber stood next to Rin, clearly supporting her lover but not making a move to involve herself in the conversation. I stepped forward to break things up, but Saber caught my eye and shook her head slightly, indicating I should remain where I was.

"In case you haven't noticed, Shirou is human! A human bound into a series of relationships he entered under false pretenses!" Rin continued to yell. On the side of the room, Homura flinched and lowered her head. "Stop acting like you're closer to him than us. You don't know him at all!"

"Why are they fighting?" Musubi asked, so softly I barely caught it. "We all love Shirou-san!"

"Quiet!" Tsukiumi hissed, and I winced as Musubi deflated. This would be next to impossible for her to understand. I didn't even know what had caused the fight, but I could tell they were both very angry. This must have been building up since Rin and Saber got here.

"You have no idea what it's like to be a Sekirei. We would do anything for him," Kazehana proclaimed. "We love him, and he chose us."

"Chose you?" Rin sneered. "Don't make me laugh! He took five of you into his life without knowing what it meant, including taking on a _psychic bond_. Do you have any idea what that can do to someone's head? Of course you don't; you're only a Sekirei." Her voice was scathing. "Let me tell you something: Nothing like that comes for free. Everything has a price."

Regardless of what Saber wanted me to do, I couldn't let this continue. The last thing I wanted was to stand by and watch this. "Rin, Kazehana—"

Rin ignored me. "As for your so-called 'love,' I don't see much of that here. Love needs trust and partnership. All I'm seeing are crushes and physical attraction. If you really understood love, you'd understand why we wouldn't leave him alone in this— this _mess_ of yours."

"Mess?" Kazehana hissed, her eyes bright with anger.

"Yes, mess!" Rin spat. "This ridiculous game he insists on playing to help keep you safe, at the expense of his own wellbeing."

"Rin! Kazehana!" I interjected, more firmly this time. "Stop!"

"Quiet, Shirou," Rin said dismissively, not even glancing at me. "Since you haven't taken care of this problem yet, I will."

I frowned. If they weren't going to listen to me, I had to break them up somehow. I began to summon my mask. "Arguing in Izumo House is strictly—"

But before it even manifested, I felt it flicker out of existence. Surprised, I looked around and saw that Miya had entered the room, holding Kuu's hand. She raised her eyebrows at me, and I knew she must have figured out the trick I'd used to cancel her own projection. It shouldn't have surprised me — she'd been using the technique for much longer than I had — but more importantly, why had she stopped me? She couldn't want the argument to go on.

"Partnership, you say? When you won't even allow Shirou-kun to speak?" Kazehana sniffed. "Go back to your school. We had no problems until you showed up and decided to change things. We're fine without you — better off, even."

"Fine?" Rin scoffed. "Clearly. Because Shirou's been attacked twice by magi, nearly killed, and the only one who seemed to do anything in either case was Akitsu. He's had a shattered knee and a spear in his gut!"

Yes, but it wasn't fair for the Sekirei to be blamed for that. "That's not their fault—"

Again I was ignored. "He'd have been crippled for life if Saber hadn't chosen to stay in this timeline — a choice she made partially because she loves him! Without her here, he can't heal himself!"

"Stop it, stop it, _stop it_!" Kuu shouted as she ran between the pair, apparently unable to watch the two fight any longer. "Just… stop. If you both love Oniichan, how can you do this to him? How can you make him hurt like this?"

Rin and Kazehana both glanced off towards where Kuu was gesturing at me. Rin's eyes darted off to the side, her mouth tightening. I knew that look. She didn't regret what she'd done, only that she'd gotten caught. Kazehana wore a similar expression, but I wasn't sure how repentant she was either.

An awkward silence fell over the room. "I'm home," I said, almost reflexively, into the dead air.

Kazehana snorted, and Rin rolled her eyes. "Clearly."

I moved towards the magus. "Rin, just calm down. Let's all sit down and talk this out—"

"Talk?" Rin echoed bitterly. "There's nothing to talk about as long as they—" she waved a hand at the room at large, encompassing the Sekirei "—seem to think a psychic bond is more important than a relationship we spent _years_ working on." She turned back to Kazehana, fury in her eyes. "He wouldn't be standing here today if it weren't for Saber and me. We both saved his life long before he ever met you. Think about that the next time you're cooing over your 'precious Ashikabi.'" Rin spun on her heel and left the room, heading upstairs, Saber close behind.

I turned and followed them.

* * *

Saber paused as she heard footsteps behind her and turned to face the man she loved. "Shirou." She felt a flash of triumph at the sight of him. As a king, she knew she shouldn't, but Rin had spent the last few years encouraging her to act not as a ruler but as an ordinary person. She had thrown away her chance at a normal life when she had drawn the sword from the stone, but now, in this time, she had no kingdom to rule. She only had Shirou and Rin to watch over. She had come to know love and freedom of choice, as well as what it meant to be human rather than a figure of authority for her people. And as a woman, as Shirou's lover, she knew what his presence here meant.

He had followed his heart, moving instinctively as he so often did, and he had chosen them.

"Saber." He glanced over her shoulder at Rin, who hurried up the stairs, vanishing from his sight, and moved to pass Saber and ascend after her.

Though it pained her to do so, Saber moved into his path. "Shirou, you must first see to your household. When you have settled things with them, join us upstairs." He had a duty to these women who had pledged themselves to him, and the King of Knights knew duty better than most, having only moved beyond it these past four years. She would not keep him from his duty — would remind him of it if necessary.

But neither would she throw away her love.

"But Rin—" Shirou protested, looking torn. His eyes flickered between the stairs and the door behind him.

"Trust me to comfort her for now," Saber said softly. "It is enough that you followed us."

Shirou gave her a confused look and sighed. "All right. But I'll be up as soon as I can."

"I would expect nothing less." Saber watched him return to the dining room, then climbed the stairs, entering the room she shared with Rin. The magus stood staring defiantly at the wall, her shoulders tense, a suspicious gleam of moisture in her eyes.

Saber moved to her side and silently opened her arms. Rin stood firm for a moment, more for her pride's sake than any real reluctance, then moved into Saber's embrace, awkwardly cuddling into the shorter woman's shoulder. Saber held her tightly, gently rocking her as the tears began to fall. She wondered what Shirou would think if he knew how often this had happened in his absence. Rin had had to spend a lot of time suppressing her emotions in public while she'd fought for Shirou's case, but she was a passionate woman, and all those feelings couldn't be ignored forever. Sooner or later they bubbled to the surface, no matter the greater control she had gained as she'd grown older.

Just as they had today.

"And here I am, falling apart on you again. I'm pathetic," Rin grumbled.

"Being strong for you gives me strength," Saber said, pressing a kiss to Rin's hair. "Let us sit."

"You always say that. I still don't get it," Rin complained, but followed Saber's suggestion and grabbed a cushion.

"That does not make it any less true." Saber followed suit before taking Rin back into her arms. Saber always felt at her strongest when serving as a protector, a guardian. She hadn't been able to do much to help Rin in her work to save Shirou from the Association, but she had been able to hold her when the rage, pain, and, yes, grief, at their loss overwhelmed her. The situation they had found in Shin Tokyo had been completely unexpected and had turned what should have been a joyous celebration of Rin's victory sour.

They had spent the last year enduring trial after trial to bring Shirou home. They'd been emotionally exhausted when Rin had finally been granted control over Shirou's Sealing Designation, but also giddy with relief. The Sekirei situation had thrown them back into the situation they had been in for a year: kept from renewing their relationship with Shirou. Both had tried their best to grant his wish by getting along with the Sekirei, but it was difficult. Saber had found herself using those skills she'd learned as a king to hide her own pain. Rin had learned to better control her emotions somewhat, but eventually it had become too much for her. One careless remark from Musubi had been the final straw.

Saber wondered if she should have actively participated in the argument. They and Shirou had declared a rule that when two of them argued, the third remained outside of the fight. Thus, as it had only been Kazehana and Rin fighting, Saber had refrained from speaking. She knew that the fight would not likely help their cause in the long run, with the Sekirei or with Shirou.

That didn't mean that she didn't agree with Rin's words, however.

Rin fought with her breathing for a few minutes, finally managing to bring herself back under control. "I'm going to find a way," she declared, her voice bitter. "I'm going to make their— their little crushes vanish. Shirou doesn't know if he loves them. I'll find a way to send them away."

Saber doubted it would be that easy. In fact she strongly suspected that the Sekirei would be by Shirou's side for the rest of his life. Rin was an excellent magus, but she would do nothing to hurt Shirou, nor would she wish to cause injury to the child, at the very least. While Saber wasn't happy about it, she had accepted the situation with more grace. It was not the first time she'd been in a situation not to her liking. As a king she had faced many such predicaments; sometimes one had to make choices that were unpleasant to make the best of them.

And she rather thought the Sekirei could be… useful.

"I still can't believe the idiot got himself into multiple prana contracts without knowing what they were. Especially ones with _psychic bonds_." Rin spat the words as if they were a curse. "He really doesn't need something messing with his mind."

"We do not know the Sekirei's influence is to blame," Saber reminded her. She thought about what they'd learned before Rin had secured control of Shirou's Sealing Designation, disturbing facts that they had yet to share with Shirou, since they'd been so caught up with the Sekirei Plan and adjusting to Shirou's new circumstances. "There are other likely culprits."

"I know, I know. Damn that woman." Rin shifted to sit up, rubbing at red eyes. "But what we saw on that video this morning…"

"I agree. Perhaps I should retrieve Avalon for a time so that Shirou learned to properly defend himself," Saber said dryly.

Rin started, then hit her lightly on the shoulder. "I didn't mean that, and you knew it, Saber!"

"Yes, I did." The small smile that had appeared on her face while she teased Rin vanished.

The sight of Shirou smiling bloodthirstily at foes, relishing their coming deaths, would not leave her mind either.

"We still need more information. That could have been an isolated incident." Saber sighed. "Unfortunately, you have likely alienated those who might have been willing to share their insights," she gently chastised.

Rin flushed in embarrassment. "I know. I lost my temper." She crossed her arms. "But I'm not going to apologize. Everything I said was true."

"Then we shall have to hope that Shirou resolves the situation in our favor, so that we are able to question them on the matter. I believe Matsu and Homura are our best options," Saber said. The latter in particular seemed a good choice to her. Homura had shown glimpses of the virtues necessary for a knight, even if she had deceived Shirou about the nature of the Sekirei bond.

"If we're betting on Shirou to solve a social problem, we must be really desperate," Rin muttered, not looking hopeful.

"We shall have to discuss it with him. I told him to join us here when he had spoken with his household," Saber told her.

"Wait…" Rin froze, thinking. "You told him? But he…" She trailed off, realization dawning in her eyes.

"Yes, Rin." Saber smiled. "He followed us. I sent him back, but he was coming for you." Saber saw the same flash of pleasure she had felt in Rin's face. The magus knew what that meant, just as she did. "We have not lost him yet."

* * *

I returned to the dining room, looking around at the Sekirei. All of my girls seemed shaken by the events, except Kazehana, who continued to look angry. It seemed no one had moved during the minute or two I'd been missing, but the moment Kuu saw me she ran across the room, throwing herself onto my leg. I awkwardly picked her up, allowing her to wrap her arms tightly about me, before turning to look at the others.

"Not resolving discord between residents is strictly prohibited in Izumo House," Miya declared, though no Hannya accompanied the statement. Her eyes met mine. "You need to discuss the current situation with your Sekirei, Emiya-san. I will finish dinner." With that she left the room.

"Why don't we go out to the porch?" I suggested, mostly to spare Miya from hearing our conversation. I had the feeling it wouldn't be an entirely pleasant one.

Once we'd relocated, I carefully took a seat, making sure not to drop Kuu. The rest of my flock settled around me. Akitsu stayed close by at my right while Musubi took my left, Tsukiumi on her other side, a hand on the girl's shoulder in reassurance. Kuu, who was nearly in tears, sat in my lap, burying her head in my chest. I rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. She had never reacted so poorly to something like this, but I supposed if she was as strongly psychically gifted as Matsu said, it made sense that conflict, especially between those with strong emotions, would trouble her. Kazehana and Rin had both been clearly upset.

Matsu choose to sit opposite me, and Kazehana took the spot between her and Tsukiumi. Homura hesitated for a moment, then settled on Matsu's other side, completing the circle. I looked around at the women who were bound to me. All of them seemed uncertain and upset to a certain degree, though some of them showed it more than others. "I guess we should have sat down and talked about this," I said apologetically. Rin and Saber had insisted we discuss the situation when they'd first arrived, but I'd never given my flock the same chance.

I should have. They were as much a part of this as Rin and Saber were.

"No, Ashikabi-sama," Akitsu said softly, leaning against me in silent support.

I hesitated. While I was mostly focused on the fight between Kazehana and Rin, I did owe it to them that we talk about my girlfriends in general. "How do you all feel about this? Rin and Saber, I mean."

"Matsu likes Rin-tan, and Saber-tan seems like she's going to be a lot of help," Matsu answered immediately. She flicked a braid over her shoulder. "They're having a hard time adjusting, but Matsu thinks it'll work out in the end."

Next to her, Homura shifted. "Saber's fine. Rin's…"

"A bit scary?" I offered. She nodded. "Not the first time I've thought that," I reassured her, and she relaxed a bit. I couldn't blame her for that reaction. It was an honest one.

"Kuu likes Rin-neechan and Sa-neechan!" the little Sekirei declared, lifting her head from my shirt. "They're both really nice." She rubbed at her eyes a bit. "Kuu wishes Rin-neechan wouldn't yell, though."

"I'll make sure to tell her that," I promised. I glanced at Akitsu.

"As long as I can serve Ashikabi-sama, it does not matter," she declared.

I found myself jealous, just for a moment, of her confidence. "Tsukiumi?"

"Ah—" All of our eyes returned to Akitsu, who apparently wasn't quite done with her piece. A blush touched her cheeks. "Ashikabi-sama has been happier," she murmured.

"What?" I blinked, staring at her.

Matsu nodded in agreement. "Yes, Matsu thinks Akitsu-tan is right."

I was surprised. I hadn't noticed myself, but… I shook my head and turned back to the woman beside Musubi. "Tsukiumi?" I repeated.

The water user looked grave. She had remained quiet and subdued the last two days, ever since I had asked her to stop referring to herself as my wife. I had tried a few times to see what was bothering her, but she had rebuffed me every time. Now, though, Tsukiumi squared her shoulders and met my gaze steadily. "Do you regret winging us?" she asked, her voice serious.

I hesitated, instinctively glancing at Homura, who looked away. I was glad that she hadn't died, but the end result of her— his winging made me wonder if he would've preferred it. Kuu shifted in my lap to look up at me, and our eyes briefly met before I looked away. I was essentially married to a child. For now she thought of me as her older brother, but later? I didn't want to think of her growing up and becoming attracted to me. It was just _wrong_.

And that was saying nothing about what winging my Sekirei had done to Rin and Saber.

I looked back at Tsukiumi, noticed her tight lips, and realized that my hesitation had already given my answer for me. I scrambled to recover, trying to think of how to better explain what I felt. "I regret the pain it's caused," I finally said.

"Pain? What do you mean?" The water Sekirei's anger wasn't gone, but now she looked confused. Homura, on the other hand, just tightened her fists, undoubtedly knowing at least part of what I was thinking of.

"You didn't even want an Ashikabi," I reminded Tsukiumi. "Do you regret it?"

"O-of course not!" she declared. "As the strongest Sekirei, it is only natural that I have the strongest Ashikabi!"

"We all love Shirou-san, so it's fine!" Musubi chimed in. I wasn't quite sure she was following the conversation entirely, but at least she didn't seem so upset anymore.

"Oniichan is the best," Kuu said firmly.

"Matsu thinks Shirou-tan makes a wonderful Ashikabi," the hacker said. Besides me, Akitsu nodded in agreement. Homura stayed silent, shifting uncomfortably. I doubted she was without regrets, and I couldn't blame her. She was in a very awkward position.

"As if I'd ever regret having a relationship with you, Lover-kun." Kazehana smirked at me.

"Even with all the baggage I have?" I responded, looking around at the circle of Sekirei. "I haven't exactly made this easy on you." I had brought magi into their lives and nearly gotten them killed. My old lovers had come to find me, and only a little while ago, one of them had argued with one of my Sekirei. And that was saying nothing of my own mental state, something that had from time to time disturbed most of the members of my flock.

"Even so!" Musubi said cheerfully. "As long as we're all together, we can take care of anything, Shirou-san!"

I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. Musubi really did just believe the best would come out in every situation. It could be annoying sometimes, but it was also endearing, I had to admit. I returned my attention to Kazehana. This was the most important conversation for tonight. "Kazehana, how do you feel about Rin and Saber being here?"

Kazehana paused for a moment before answering. "…Saber is fine. But Rin— she wants to change everything. She threatened to take you away from us." Something flashed in her eyes, too quickly for me to catch it. "Why did they come here, Shirou-kun? You said you'd broken up with them."

In part it had been because Rin had managed to gain power over my Sealing Designation, but that wasn't the real reason. And Kazehana — as well as the others — needed to know what it was, even if I was more than a little ashamed at what it revealed about myself. "They were always planning to find me," I admitted. "They didn't think we'd broken up."

All of my Sekirei looked startled. Matsu slowly began to smile. "Separated, but not broken. Sounds like something right out of a soap opera," she teased, though her voice was much softer than usual. "And then they found out their lover had moved on—"

"When I had no right to do so," I interrupted. "Rin promised to find a way for me to come home. I didn't believe in that." I sighed. "I've put you all in a very awkward place. I'm sorry."

"Shirou…" Tsukiumi seemed at a loss for words.

"No, you didn't." Homura straightened. "This is my fault. I didn't tell you what winging actually meant."

"You were a bit distracted at the time," I pointed out. I couldn't hold her circumstances against her.

"I could have told you later," Homura insisted, echoing Rin's own observation a few days ago. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter," I replied firmly. "I would've tried to help you either way. I'm sorry about what happened with Rin. She's… she can be very…" I tried to find a word to describe Rin's occasionally explosive temper. "She can bottle things up and then it gets out of hand," I finally summarized. I hesitated before continuing, "Kazehana… you do need to be careful. Rin's an excellent magus. I don't think she'd hurt you intentionally, but sometimes when her temper gets the better of her she does things without thinking them through." I would forever remember the time she chased me around the school back during the Holy Grail War. While she hadn't _really_ intended to kill me — I thought — it certainly could've happened by accident.

"She's only a human. There's nothing she could do to a Sekirei," Kazehana said, with the casual arrogance that seemed to be a common failing of her species.

"She's a magus, and a better one that me. And I can fight Sekirei," I reminded her. Yes, a normal human would pose no threat to a Sekirei. Kazehana, having killed many in defense of her race, undoubtedly knew that. But Rin was something else entirely.

"Can magecraft affect Sekirei bonds?" Matsu asked.

I blinked, a bit surprised by the sudden question. "Well, I know of at least one method that could sever a bond, but I don't know what type of affect it would have on Sekirei. While Rin doesn't know how to use that particular mystery, it doesn't mean she wouldn't know something else that might do something similar." I did _not_ want things to come to a fight between Rin and Kazehana. Rin was a genius, and if she sought to dissolve the Sekirei bonds, I could almost guarantee she'd find a way. She had listened to my wish, but if Kazehana hurt her pride, she might do something she'd regret later. "It'd be better if you didn't provoke her," I warned.

Kazehana's lips twisted. "If you say so," she finally replied, clearly not happy about it.

"I'll tell Rin the same thing," I promised.

"Shirou-tan, Matsu thinks we're getting off the main point." The hacker sat up straighter, drawing everyone's attention to her. "This isn't really about us. It's about you. What do you want, Ashikabi-sama?"

I blinked at her in surprise. She rarely used my title; the way she had addressed me made it seem almost like a formal request. But I couldn't agree with what she had said. "No, it is about you too. You've all gotten dragged into this because of me. You're a part of it," I insisted.

Homura glanced at Matsu, shook her head. "No, Shirou. I'm going to agree with Matsu. You were pulled into the Sekirei Plan because of us, not the other way around. We owe you."

"It is our duty as your wives to help you in any way we can," Tsukiumi declared, "but Matsu is right. We cannot do so if we do not know what you want."

Beside me, Akitsu nodded again in agreement. Kuu and Musubi both beamed at me. I hesitated, then admitted, "I just want all of you to be happy. You and Rin and Saber."

"Is that really it, Ashikabi-sama?" Matsu said, still retaining her formal air.

I ran the Matsu's words through my head again and frowned a little, realizing what must have happened. I knew that Matsu had cameras in my room; I'd used them myself to review the strange incident with Yume's spirit. Between referencing magecraft that could sever Sekirei bonds and asking me what I wanted, I could only conclude she must've watched the discussion between myself, Rin, and Saber. I'd suspected she'd looked in on us Monday night, but the idea of her watching and listening that closely felt like a violation of privacy — not so much my own, but definitely Rin and Saber's.

Then again, these Sekirei had sworn themselves to me for life. Maybe they had as much of a right to know as Rin and Saber did.

"I don't want to have to choose," I said, repeating what I had told my girlfriends.

"Choose?" Musubi asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Between you and Rin and Saber," I clarified. "I want all of you to get along, to be happy."

"Why would you need to?" Musubi blinked. "We all love you."

I sighed. Musubi's fixation was sweet in a way, but it made having a serious conversation about this difficult. I was beginning to wonder if I was this bad with my own distortion. If so, I owed Rin and Saber something for putting up with me. Maybe homemade chocolates? They both liked those. "I'll have to if you can't all be happy together," I told her.

"Matsu is willing to do anything to help Rin-tan and Saber-tan settle in," the hacker put in. "Matsu would rather have Shirou-tan part of the time than none of the time."

I frowned. "Matsu, I didn't choose—"

"Yes, you did, Shirou-tan," Matsu said gently. "Shirou-tan went to them first. That's okay. Matsu knows that Shirou-tan is human, and so are Rin-tan and Saber-tan. Shirou-tan was with them for a long time but has only known his Sekirei for less than a year. Matsu has learned that humans need more time to love than Sekirei, and that's okay." Some of her seriousness faded, and she smiled. "We just have to make it so Shirou-tan can have all of the people he loves together."

"I hadn't— I didn't—" I hadn't meant that when I'd followed Rin and Saber from the room. I'd just seen Rin in pain and wanted to stop it. Nothing else had passed through my mind. "I wasn't choosing," I insisted. "And if having Rin and Saber here makes you all unhappy…" I bit my lip. Saber was right. I had a duty towards my flock, and if her and Rin's presence disrupted that, I'd have to part ways with my girlfriends. After the last few days, though, I couldn't imagine never seeing them again. Maybe I could see if I could find somewhere else for them to stay, so that they wouldn't have to see Sekirei as often, and then we could go back to London together after the Sekirei Plan had concluded. It wasn't something I wanted to consider, but if I wanted everyone to be happy, it might be the best option.

"But a Sekirei can't be happy if their Ashikabi is miserable!" Musubi said, almost fierce. "So we all need to work to make Shirou-san happy. I'm sure we can do it if we do it for you!"

"I can't force you to like them," I said, looking at Kazehana. "Just… try to be civil? Please?"

The wind user sighed. "If you insist." She didn't look satisfied with this resolution. It wasn't great, but I'd take it for now. Anything that didn't lead to another fight like tonight would be good.

Kuu jumped off my lap and ran back into the house. I looked after her in concern, but she didn't seem upset, only determined, so I didn't chase her.

"Shirou," Tsukiumi spoke up again, her expression serious again. "Was what Rin said true? About them saving your life?"

"Yes," I admitted. "Multiple times." I never would've survived the Grail War without Saber and Rin. While it was true I'd done nearly as much to help them, they'd both made sacrifices on my behalf before we'd even really known each other. Saber's sheath had saved my life before I'd even become Emiya Shirou, and Rin had sacrificed her father's legacy to heal me after Lancer's fatal blow. Things had only gotten more complicated after that.

Tsukiumi sat in silence again for a minute or so. I waited, recognizing the look in her eyes from the last few days. She was thinking of something, but I knew now I couldn't rush her. Finally she nodded to herself. "Then we owe them. If it were not for their actions, we would never have had you as our Ashikabi, and we someone else might have forced us to become their Sekirei." She straightened. "As the strongest Sekirei I shall do all I can to repay our debt."

"That's really not necessary," I hastened to assure her.

"But it is," Tsukiumi insisted. She colored and looked away. "Even if I would have been able to do it myself, you did defeat those who were trying to take me by force. S-So I am going to do this for you!"

Tsunderes. I didn't think I'd ever really understand them. "Thank you." I couldn't really say more than that. I turned my attention back to Kazehana. Of all of my flock, she was the one who was having the worst time adjusting to Rin and Saber's presence, and I needed to know why. "Kazehana, how did the fight—"

"Matsu thinks Shirou-tan should head up to talk to Rin-tan and Saber-tan now," the hacker interrupted. "Dinner will be ready soon."

Matsu was right, but it was more than a little suspicious that she'd spoken up just then. I hadn't forgotten how she'd manipulated me into revealing the nature of the Holy Grail War, and for a moment I hesitated. But she _was _right, and I needed to talk to them before dinner. "I'll be down in a bit, then." I stood and headed upstairs, passing Kuu, who was returning to the dining room with one of her stuffed cats. I turned and saw her head to Kazehana, offering the plush toy to her before giving her a hug. A smile tugged at my lips as I started to climb the stairs. Akitsu was by my side, as usual, but Matsu fell into step too. "Matsu?"

"Matsu knows Shirou-tan needs to talk to Kazehana-tan, but Matsu thinks Shirou-tan should do it when they're both alone," she said.

I nodded. It was a good idea, but of course the problem was getting some time alone. "I guess I'll have to wait until Saturday, then." Saturday was Kazehana's night, though I didn't like the idea of letting it wait that long.

"Leave it to Matsu, Shirou-tan. Matsu has an idea," the hacker assured me.

"Right." I paused upon reaching the second floor. "You watched my conversation with Rin and Saber on Monday night."

"Yes, Shirou-tan," she admitted. "Matsu thought the others needed to know what Shirou-tan wanted too."

That might be true, but it still made me uncomfortable. "Listening to private conversations that include Rin and Saber is prohibited," I intoned. Matsu reflexively flinched, though I did not summon my mask. "I want you to remove your cameras and mikes from their room, and any footage of the three of us in mine is to be deleted as soon as possible."

Matsu didn't look happy. Considering how much she used the cameras to keep an eye on the house, I could understand why, but I wasn't letting that happen again. Rin and Saber wouldn't take it well, and I couldn't blame them. "All right, Shirou-tan," she finally agreed. "Matsu will do it tomorrow and delete the files she already has after dinner."

I felt my shoulders relax a bit. I had hoped Matsu would be reasonable, but considering some of her more underhanded moves in the past I hadn't been sure. I glanced at Akitsu and motioned for her to remain outside before I knocked on Rin and Saber's door. "It's me."

"Come in, Shirou," Saber called. I entered. The pair were sitting together on the floor, their fingers twined together.

I moved over to sit with them. My stomach clenched as I noticed Rin's red eyes and the tears lingering on her face. I didn't know if they were tears of anger or loss, but I knew she was hurting. I could count on one hand how many time I had seen her cry and have fingers left over. I reached out to hold them both tightly. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your— well, I suppose it kind of is," Rin grumbled. She buried her head in my chest. "Stupid Shirou. How could you get yourself into this mess _again_?"

I knew the question was more rhetorical than something I needed to answer, so I just kissed the top of her head. "I just wish I could make it easy for you."

"The entire situation is difficult. It would be better if we had had some more time to recover before having encountered it," Saber admitted.

"Recover?" I asked. "Were you hurt?"

"Of course we were, Shirou. We were hurt deeply when you left," Saber answered, sitting back. "The past year has been very trying, and I am afraid neither of us are feeling particularly magnanimous or patient with the current situation as a result."

I shifted to let Rin sit back as well so I could look at them both. I really had no idea what they had gone through in the last year. I'd asked them a few questions, but we'd mostly been working on getting them up to speed on the Sekirei Plan. I knew that the current situation had hurt them both, but I didn't know what I could do.

This was why my wish was impossible. This was why I didn't deserve it.

"Do you want to leave?" I asked, almost reflexively. "I can't, but you could."

"We are not leaving you, Shirou. Do not ask again," Saber said sternly. "We will deal with the current situation."

"Saber's right. It's just…" Rin crossed her arms and looked away from me. "I hate this," she said bitterly. "I hate this whole situation. I hate having to share you, I hate the stupid schedule, I hate that they act like they're equal to us when they've barely spent any time with you. We've given up more for each other than they can dream of, but they act like their stupid bond is the same as all that!" Rin paused, her breathing elevated, her hands clenched into fists. "And the worst part is…" She ground her teeth in frustration. "I've never seen you so happy!"

"What?" I asked, startled.

Rin turned her head back to glare at me. "You're happy! You're smiling more, and you're more relaxed than ever, even with all of this going on! It has to be the Sekirei's fault. What else could it be?"

I immediately shook my head in denial. "That's not true, Rin."

"I agree that Shirou is happier here than he was in London before he left," Saber began. "However, Rin, I believe you are wrong. There are many things that could be causing Shirou's mood to improve."

"Like what?" Rin grumbled.

"Not only is he is back in his home country, but Izumo House is very similar to the Emiya home and is likely soothing to him." I nodded in agreement, knowing I had felt that the minute I'd first walked around this place. "In addition, while he does have to concern himself with the Sekirei Plan, he does not have to deal with Clock Tower politics, with which he was never comfortable. This is much more of his area of expertise. Furthermore, he has people to protect—" Saber paused, and added with a smile "—not to mention a much larger kitchen than the one in London."

"Only you would think that was important," Rin grumbled, but she was fighting a smile herself.

"Well, it _is_ a really nice kitchen," I admitted. "Actually, though… Akitsu was just saying she thinks I've been happier since you came." Both Rin and Saber looked at me in surprise. "She's around me the most, so she's probably right."

"Leaving aside potential outcomes, positive or negative, of the Sekirei bond's influence on Shirou's mind, its existence certainly does not mean that he does not need us," Saber added.

I glanced at her. What did she mean by the bond being a negative thing? Saber shook her head, glancing at Rin. I nodded and let the topic go. Right now we needed to focus on Rin, but I'd have to talk about it with her later.

"So, Shirou, do you still need us?" Rin moved out of my embrace to cross her arms, glaring at me.

Of course I did. Rin and Saber and I had helped each other through so much. Just having them here the last few days had made me aware of how much I had missed them, needed them in my life. I knew something that would make Rin feel better, even if my pride would suffer for it. "Well… the other day I was trying rune combinations I got off the digital workshop and managed to cause an explosion," I said, a bit sheepishly.

"…Shirou, I was under the impression you didn't have a workshop anymore. Didn't you destroy it in your fight with the Fraga?" Rin asked.

"Yes—" Here it came.

"You were practicing experimental magecraft without a workshop!?" Rin dropped her forehead into her hand. "Please tell me you didn't blow up anything important."

"Just some dirt," I reassured her. "I was out where we did our running yesterday."

"You're lucky you didn't blow up your head, you idiot," Rin grumbled. Her fingers interlaced with mine. "Avalon won't fix everything."

"I know." I leaned over and kissed her. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Not really," she admitted. "I'm still hoping we'll be able to win the Sekirei Plan and then go home. And leave them here. What about you, Saber?"

"Some of your companions are not disagreeable, but I agree that it would be easier if they were not your lovers." Saber moved closer to Rin, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. "It is difficult to think of them in such fashion."

I wish I had some way to resolve this situation. If I'd had Command Spells I would've used them in a heartbeat, but there was nothing I could do about it. So I steered the subject towards something a bit lighter. "Can I make you something special for dinner, at least?"

Rin chuckled. It was a bit weak, and held an undercurrent of hurt, but it was good to hear all the same. "Comforting people with food. That's so like you."

"I believe Miya was already preparing dinner," Saber interjected. "It would not be wise to waste her efforts."

"Breakfast, then?" I promptly offered.

"…Pancakes," Rin finally decided. "Lots of different kinds."

I nodded, glad that I'd practiced more Western dishes when we were in London. "Do you want to come down for dinner now?"

"Perhaps we should remain here and eat later," Saber said, glancing at Rin.

"No, we go now." Rin raised her chin. "I'm not letting them keep me in here."

"Right." Then I hesitated. I hated to do it, but I had to. I couldn't just ask my Sekirei to adjust to Rin and Saber. I had to stand up for them as well. "Rin, I need you to apologize."

"Why?" Rin snapped. "I didn't say anything that wasn't true."

"Maybe not, but you scared Kuu," I said. "She doesn't like it when you yell."

"…I'll apologize to her, then." Rin folded her arms. "But I didn't say anything to Kazehana I didn't mean."

"Please, Rin?" I begged. "I already talked to Kazehana about it, and I asked her not to start anything. Things will be a lot calmer if you both promise to do the same thing."

"I don't want to—"

"Rin." Saber's tone was disapproving.

Rin flushed, then exchanged a long look with Saber. The swordswoman arched an eyebrow at her, and Rin rolled her eyes. I could tell they were silently discussing _something_, though not what. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit my stomach. I had seen them do this before — for that matter, I had often participated — but I had never been completely unable to follow these exchanges. The year apart had created a distance between us, and frankly, I didn't like it.

Rin seemed to finally give in, crossing her arms. "_Fine_." She shot me a sharp look. "But I'm not doing it for her."

"Thank you." I kissed her, then opened the door. "Let's head down now. I'll ask Musubi to go—"

"Go where, Shirou-san?" Musubi asked cheerfully.

I blinked, looking out into the hallway. Akitsu was still there, which I'd expected, but Matsu had remained as well, and the pair had been joined by Musubi, Kuu, and Tsukiumi. "…shopping, after dinner," I managed to finish. "I'm going to make a special breakfast tomorrow."

"Okay, Shirou-san!" Musubi smiled brilliantly. "Are you all ready for dinner now?"

"…definitely distorted," Rin murmured beside me, just loud enough I could hear. I nodded in response to both her observation and Musubi's question.

Kuu came forward, the determined expression back on her face. She offered Rin the plush cat she held in her arms. "Have a meow-meow to hold and feel better, Rin-neechan," Kuu declared. Rin reflexively took the toy and held it awkwardly, and Kuu hugged her. "Rin-neechan and Fuu-neechan should play meow-meow together so they can become friends!"

Somehow I thought it would take more than that. To her credit, however, Rin didn't respond to Kuu's comment except to pat her awkwardly on the head, still holding the toy. "I'm sorry I yelled, Kuu-chan," she said. "I'll try not to do it again."

"Thank you, Rin-neechan!" Kuu beamed.

Tsukiumi stepped forward, bowing. "I apologize for the pain our household has caused you." I blinked at her, surprised, but then remembered how she had treated Karasuba once she'd gotten over the shock of her being here. Tsukiumi did take her position as a 'wife' very seriously. "In addition, I wish to thank you for the gift of our Ashikabi's life. I, Tsukiumi, will do all that I can to repay our debt."

"Ah, thank you for Ashikabi-sama," Akitsu said, a moment behind her.

"We didn't do it for you," Rin grumbled, but between the cat and Kuu, who was still holding onto her, she didn't come across as particularly intimidating. "You don't owe us anything."

"Yes, we do," Tsukiumi said firmly. "If you had not saved his life, we might have been winged by another. One who is not as kind. Please tell me of anything I can do to help you in any way."

I gave Tsukiumi and Akitsu a warm smile in thanks. Tsukiumi flushed and looked away. Akitsu didn't say anything, only moving to her usual place by my side. "It'll just be flab on her mind if you refuse," I joked to Rin.

"Very funny." Rin shot me a look, then shrugged. "Okay."

"And after dinner, we'll start on Rin's own workshop!" Matsu grinned. Normally we'd go for a run around this time, but it had started pouring as I'd come home. We could run in the rain, but I didn't want to get my Sekirei soaked if it wasn't necessary. The last thing I needed was for them to catch cold.

"You just want to make me work with computers some more." Rin managed to carefully extract herself from Kuu and tried to hand the toy back, but the young Sekirei would have none of it, insisting she keep it.

"Of course!" Matsu said gleefully. "Rin-tan makes the most amusing faces when something doesn't work the way she expects it to. Besides, getting an old system to work with a new one is important, isn't it?"

Rin paused, giving Matsu a considering look. "…I suppose."

I wonder if Matsu meant what I'd thought she did. Magi were fairly good at picking up on implication, mostly because so much of their work involved things beyond normal human experience. And that one hadn't been particularly subtle, either.

"In any case, Rin-tan should feed Shirou-tan at dinner!" Matsu suggested, smirking. "That always makes Tsukiumi-tan feel better."

"Shirou's not a baby bird!" Rin rolled her eyes.

"And what is that supposed to mean, Matsu?" Tsukiumi demanded.

"Come on, let's go downstairs." I gestured. "It's way too tight in the hallway with this many people."

Kuu promptly let go of Rin and latched onto Saber's hand, leading her downstairs. I decided to follow her example and took Rin's in mine, making her blush. "Sh-Shirou—"

I ignored her protest, leading her downstairs to the dining room. Rin's fingers tightened briefly on mine as she saw Kazehana, and then she pulled free of me, moving to stand in front of the wind Sekirei. They stared at each other for a long moment before Rin spoke, her voice cool. "I apologize for speaking in a belligerent tone. While nothing I said was untrue, I am willing to propose a truce for Shirou's sake."

I started to feel a headache coming on, and bit back a sigh. That had _not_ been what I'd meant when I'd told Rin to apologize. That sort of backhanded insult was right out of her time in the Clock Tower. I had a feeling this wouldn't end well.

"And I'm sorry you can't understand our relationship with Lover-kun," Kazehana purred. "However, for our Ashikabi's sake, I agree."

And that didn't sound particularly promising either. Rin returned to my side, sitting at my right. I turned, expecting to see Kuu at my left, but she had moved over one place, giving Saber the spot next to me. I thanked her. It was nice to have Saber beside me again. For several minutes an uncomfortable silence hung over the table, so I hunted for a neutral topic. "I'm making pancakes tomorrow. What kinds do you want?"

"What kinds can you make, Shirou-san?" Musubi asked, looking interested.

I began to list things I'd done before and new ideas I could try tomorrow. The topic of pancakes gradually gave way to food in general, something everyone could talk about without incident. By the end of dinner the room was noticeably less tense, much to my relief. I helped clean up, then headed upstairs with Rin and Saber, again taking Rin's hand in mine. As we headed out, Kazehana paused, looking at our clasped hands. The same expression I'd seen her wear earlier reappeared. This time, however, it stayed just long enough for me to be able to recognize it for what it was.

Fear.

I knew then that I _had_ to talk to her as soon as possible. I couldn't wait for Matsu's plan, and I couldn't wait until Saturday. I could think of many reasons why someone should be wary of Rin, but none that could explain the apprehension I'd briefly seen in Kazehana's eyes.

I couldn't let something like that stand.

* * *

**Notes**

Okay, we're pretty sure there's going to be a lot of strong reactions to this chapter. It is our hope, though, that you'll read these notes to understand some of our reasoning before leaving a review.

First of all, we're not trying to bash Kazehana. She has a very good reason for reacting the way she is here. If you know her backstory you can probably figure out part of it. We're going to get more into Kazehana's reasons for her actions next chapter, but it didn't seem right to have Shirou interrogate her in front of everyone.

Rin and Saber's presence acts as a catalyst. They're completely outside the Sekirei Plan, and they're both the type to challenge things. In addition, their relationship with Shirou is inherently different than Shirou's with his Sekirei, not only in terms of the time they've been together but also in terms of the work they've put into strengthening the emotional aspects of their relationships. It's certainly possible for the Sekirei's relationships with Shirou to deepen to that point, but they need to work more to get there.

By allowing Rin and Saber to stay, we've put the Sekirei into a situation completely outside of their canonical source material. So yes, things are going to change, and part of that change is hurt. Tsukiumi is smacked down for the wife comment. Kazehana is afraid she'll lose her Ashikabi.

But part of that change is also good. All the Sekirei get a chance to talk to Shirou about their relationship and find out what he wants. They begin to have chances to show other sides. We really want to develop their characters some more, and getting them more

As for the argument itself, Saber and Miya don't interfere because both have been involved in organizations as leaders. They recognized that this needed to come out and be dealt with. Kuu, on the other hand, canonically breaks up fights/arguments. Since she didn't develop the habit of carrying around potted plants in IF, we had her physically intervene.

We also introduce the first interlude here. While we had originally planned on trying to stay to the Shirou-only POV of In Flight, we realized this limited how much we could show of the others' emotions. Saber, in particular, is known for locking them down. Expect to see these not only from Rin and Saber, but also focusing on the various Sekirei.

Finally, on the topic of Sekirei bonds. We are going to be examining the Ashikabi-Sekirei relationship in a more serious manner than it is presented in Sekirei (more of a Nasuverse/Fate view). We will not, however, be following the same end as Zero Wings (if you read that on the forum) so if you didn't like ZW for that reason, you don't have to worry about that. However, if you don't like the idea of the fated aspect of the Ashikabi-Sekirei relationship being questioned, you may not want to continue to read the story.

**EDIT**: Nice catch by GlaringEyes about Musubi having mentioned pancakes in IF. We'd forgotten about that. The chapter has been edited accordingly.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Sekirei and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Sakurako Gokurakuin and her associates. Fate/stay night and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Type-Moon and its associates. The story "In Flight" is written by Gabriel Blessing. No financial gain is intended or made by this story.

* * *

Friday morning's breakfast was delayed so I could go to the store with Musubi and Tsukiumi and get ingredients not only for Rin's pancakes but also for the various baked goods for the Discipline Squad. Despite that, however, the pancakes went over extremely well. Of course, this was somewhat problematic as all the residents of Izumo House declared I _must_ make them again. With only one of me and nearly a dozen mouths to feed, making that many pancakes was a sizable chore. Every time I'd bring a new batch out to the table, the plate that had borne the last one would be clean even of crumbs, and everyone would be sitting impatiently, waiting to fall upon the next stack like a pack of ravening wolves.

I started saving myself a couple from each batch after the second or third. When I finally finished cooking and got the chance to eat, Rin was pleased to sit at my right, Matsu having changed the whiteboard this morning to give her table privileges for the day.

Her night rights, however, had gone to Kazehana. My eyes had widened when I'd seen that. Matsu had just smiled and pointed out that I'd be able to speak to her alone then. The problem with this plan was that I was fairly certain Kazehana wouldn't want to _talk_ at all. I also didn't like the idea of waiting until tonight to have this conversation. If I could do it earlier today, I would.

At the moment, however, that was a challenge for later. Right now I was trying to supervise the kitchen. Tsukiumi, Musubi, and Kuu were cleaning up the breakfast dishes. Homura had vanished after heating the first sinkful of water, much to Tsukiumi's annoyance, and Matsu had wandered off as well. Kazehana and Akitsu were busy gathering tools and ingredients for me, Akitsu moving at her usual deliberate pace while Kazehana danced lightly around the other Sekirei. It was getting ridiculously crowded, but I found I didn't mind.

I looked over the recipe Matsu had found for me. While I knew good ones for apple tarts, strawberry shortcake, and banana nut muffins, I had never made pineapple upside-down cake, so I needed something to guide my first effort. Baking multiple desserts together would require careful timing as well as help. I got to work mixing, stirring, and chopping, directing my assistants as I did. With this many things to make, there was no way I could finish them all by myself before lunch.

Tsukiumi ended up more or less attached to the sink, washing the mound of dishes that I was quickly creating, with Musubi drying them. Akitsu proved to be excellent at slicing fruit. Kuu was more than happy to stir anything I handed her, though I had to make sure she wasn't so enthusiastic that she ended up spilling things. Kazehana ended up gathering and measuring ingredients for the next recipe while I was prepping whatever stage I was on.

I had never baked so much at once, and I found it both invigorating and challenging. When the strawberry shortcake finally went into the oven, I vacated the kitchen for the first time in hours while Tsukiumi and Musubi finished up the last of the dishes. I'd offered to help, but Tsukiumi had chased me off, insisting that they had it under control and it was my job as their Ashikabi to relax for once.

Akitsu followed me out. Kuu wandered off, and Kazehana looked about ready to do the same. Seeing my chance, I quickly caught her attention. "Kazehana, let's go up to my room."

"Oh? Want to get an early start on tonight, Lover-kun?" Kazehana smirked, stretching sensuously.

My eyes reflexively dropped past her face for a moment before I firmly reminded myself I had a purpose. "We need to talk about yesterday."

Kazehana's eyes went flat. "I don't think that's necessary. I can think of much more enjoyable things to do with our time."

"But I _do_ think it's necessary," I said firmly. "I didn't get a chance to ask you about it then. We need to talk now."

Kazehana sighed, but nodded in agreement. I asked Akitsu to start on her chores, and then we headed upstairs, where I set out cushions for both of us. "So. How did the argument start?"

"Musubi asked Rin who would be using their table privileges. Rin expressed dissatisfaction with the whiteboard system in general." Kazehana smoothed a piece of hair behind her ear.

That seemed like a real minor thing to start an argument over. I remembered what Saber said yesterday, that she and Rin were emotionally exhausted from all they'd gone through to gain control of my Sealing Designation. It seemed Musubi's cheerful acceptance of their situation had been the last straw for Rin.

Still, I had a feeling there was more to Kazehana's reactions than that, so I probed a bit further. "It just seems odd. You're having the hardest time adjusting to them being here. I don't want you to be afraid of them."

"Rin comes and threatens to take my Ashikabi, you tell me she might actually be able with her magic, and I'm supposed to not be afraid?" Kazehana asked, her eyes narrowing.

I winced. Okay, I'd only made things worse. "She won't do it, I promise. I won't let her," I swore. I had no idea what that would do to a Sekirei, but I didn't want to find out. "She couldn't do something like that without consequences, and if I wasn't actively involved it would probably hurt me too. She won't put my safety at risk." Not willingly, I thought. "I just don't want you to provoke her, because things can get nasty when she loses her temper."

"I can handle her if she does," Kazehana said confidently.

"The last time she did she managed to destroy a penthouse suite, several staircases, and part of a lobby," I warned.

Kazehana actually looked impressed. "Well. I can't say I'd have thought her capable of that."

"She's a lot more dangerous than she looks. In any case, though, you've been upset since they got here. Why?" Seeing her hesitate, I added, "I'm just worried about you, and I want to do everything I can to make this work. I'd appreciate your honesty."

"Well." Kazehana folded her arms. "Partially it's that they've been changing so many things. They seem to object to _everything_ about our household life, especially Rin."

This wasn't particularly surprising. Rin was pretty used to getting her own way, and was quite fond of voicing her opinion when she didn't. Sometimes excessively. Usually I enjoyed bickering with her and resisting giving in right away, but the last couple days I'd refrained from doing so. Mostly because her suggestions had made sense, and I hadn't wanted to upset her when I knew she was doing her best to adjust to my new circumstances.

Then again, maybe it would've made her feel better if we'd squabbled instead. Sometimes Rin and I had a strange relationship.

"And…" Kazehana hesitated. "There was another man that I reacted to, once," she said quietly. "Someone I wanted to be my Ashikabi. He refused me because he loved another woman. In the end, however, she shut him out of her life, leaving him alone. He still wants to be with her, but she won't hear a word of it." She looked fierce, holding my shoulders tightly. "I won't let that happen to you. I _won't_!"

"You… reacted to someone else?" I blinked, surprised by that piece of information. I hadn't even known it was possible for a Sekirei to react to multiple people, though I supposed it made sense. Their species wouldn't stand a chance if they could only be with one person.

Though they presumably could still settle for something less, if they could be winged by force.

"Yes," Kazehana confirmed.

Interesting. I'd thought that perhaps she'd loved someone who couldn't have been an Ashikabi, but that didn't seem to be the case. "Maybe that's why you're having such a hard time with Rin and Saber. Because I'm not supposed to be your Ashikabi," I mused aloud.

"No!" Kazehana reared back as if I'd struck her. "Shirou, I _chose_ you. You are my Ashikabi!"

Some part of me wondered if she really had; every time I'd encountered an unwinged Sekirei, they'd reacted far more strongly to me than was apparently normal. "Even so, Rin and Saber wouldn't do that to me," I told her. "They came back for me. In fact, I think it's way more likely they'd put a leash on me than push me away or try to hurt me." I was touched by Kazehana's concern, though. I understood that she might feel threatened by Rin and Saber's presence, but I hadn't considered that she might've been trying to protect me as well. "They're important to me. I'm not asking you to like them, but try to get along?"

"I promised I would," Kazehana reminded me. "But if she starts something—"

"I understand." I hesitated. It didn't seem fair that I was asking so much of her and doing nothing in return. I just couldn't be comfortable with getting something for free. "Is there any way I can help?" Kazehana gave me a confused look. "Something I can do for you. What do you need?"

Kazehana smiled, her serious mood vanishing in a flash. "I need what every Sekirei needs, Lover-kun," she purred, and moved closer, lightly running one finger down my chest. "I need my Ashikabi to want me, and I need to be of use to him. I've waited a long time to share everything with you." Her smile turned into a smirk. "It's early, but perhaps you'd be willing to start now?"

I swallowed hard, feeling my heart begin to race. There was no doubt exactly what Kazehana intended. She leaned over to kiss me—

—and someone knocked on my door. Kazehana's eyes flashed in irritation as she sat back.

"Shirou, do you have a moment?" Saber called.

I glanced at Kazehana, who shrugged, looking for all the world as if we hadn't just been interrupted. I shoved down any feelings of annoyance before replying. "Sure."

Saber entered, Rin a step behind her. And then, to my surprise, came Homura as well as Matsu and Akitsu, all five looking grave. "Um… give me a minute." I quickly laid out more places to sit, though Homura opted to take a place against the wall instead. "What's wrong?"

"We need to have a discussion about your association with some of your father's former contacts. Particularly your relationship with Silvia Odell." Saber settled into her seat.

I sighed. "We had this fight already, Saber. We don't need to have it again."

"Who is this Silvia Odell?" Kazehana asked, glancing between Saber and me.

"An acquaintance of my father's," I explained. "She helped train me in combat techniques back at the Clock Tower. If it wasn't for her I would've had a much harder time dealing with the Sekirei Plan and escaping London."

Odell wasn't a magus but a spellcaster like me. For those of us who focused on combat applications of magecraft, she was an extremely valuable resource. Her particular expertise allowed her to send people into trances where they experienced something between a vision and a dream. Within, the person could fight through a variety of situations, gaining knowledge of how to deal with everything from hostage situations to infiltrating an area protected by a magus's wards. It let you to learn in a few months what would take you years under normal circumstances.

She'd approached me a few months after Rin and I had arrived in London, offering to help me. She'd apparently known Kiritsugu and owed him a favor, one she'd passed on to me. I'd been more than happy to accept. Her sessions were normally fairly expensive, way more than I could've paid for on my own. More importantly, though, the skills she offered were priceless for me to continue on my path.

As much I loved Saber and Rin, and valued the skills they had helped me refine, they didn't have all the knowledge I needed in this era. Saber had been a king; she'd fought on the front lines of large-scale military conflicts, or she'd fought supernatural creatures one-on-one. And while Rin was a brilliant magus, and a fairly decent fighter on her own, she was focused more on academic pursuits than paramilitary ones. I needed to know how to sneak into places, how to achieve my objective with minimal force, and how to avoid being noticed by the local authorities, and none of these were things my girlfriends could teach me.

Saber and Rin had not been pleased that I'd gone to sessions with Odell even after they'd voiced their objections. We'd fought so badly that I'd almost given in, but I knew I'd needed those skills to be able to chase after my dream. In all honesty, that fight had been the first time I'd ever really been afraid that our relationship wouldn't make it.

"Why did you fight about it, then?" Kazehana looked between Saber, Rin, and me. "It sounds like it was a good thing that Lover-kun learned from her."

"She wouldn't tell Shirou the exact nature of her magecraft," Rin answered, "but more importantly, he basically opened up his head to her and let her do whatever she wanted."

"You can't expect someone to tell you all the details about their magecraft," I pointed out. "You wouldn't either."

"Yeah, but I don't go mucking around in other people's heads," she countered, "especially under false pretenses." Her face was serious. "Did you know Odell never met Kiritsugu Emiya?"

"What?" I stared. The entire reason she'd worked with me was because of her relationship with my father. "That doesn't make any sense."

"It doesn't, does it?" Rin sighed. "When you left, you absolutely refused to let us go with you, no matter what arguments we made. It shocked us. We'd heard some rumors of strange things happening on the trips you took — things we never thought you'd do — but we hadn't seen anything ourselves before that. I wondered if something was changing you, and the only person I could think of was Odell. So we went to see her—"

"And she told you she didn't do a thing," I interrupted. "Rin, I'm not seventeen anymore. I've seen a lot of things since the Holy Grail War. Of course I'm going to react differently than I did back then."

"Actually, she did tell us something. Something disturbing." Rin wrapped her arms about herself, looking uncomfortable. "Shirou, she considered your father the greatest predator ever to come from humanity, a work of art. Quite frankly, she went on way too long about how perfect he was at killing the unkillable and defying what everyone expected of him." She made a face. "The only problem, as far as she saw it, was that he'd gone into retirement and died. So when you showed up at the Clock Tower, she saw her chance to make someone into everything the Magus Killer was, maybe even better. She used you, Shirou. All those lessons? She was trying to mold you into exactly what she wanted you to be."

Next to me, Akitsu and Kazehana both stiffened, Akitsu's gaze icy. "Are you saying she harmed Shirou-kun?" Kazehana asked, her voice tight.

"It seems obvious to us that she did _something_," Saber put in. "We were unable to confirm anything until we were reunited, but from what we have seen and been told…" She trailed off, her face serious.

"Maybe she did, but — I _needed_ those lessons," I protested. "I wouldn't have survived without them! She really hasn't changed me much. She just gave me skills I needed to survive."

"Shirou." I turned my gaze on Homura. "Where did you hear about the Path of the Shura?"

"I—" I blinked, my thoughts fizzling out.

I knew what it was. It was important to me, the path to save the most people I could even if it wasn't everyone, but where had I heard the term before?

I couldn't remember.

Starting to feel a bit queasy, I turned my attention back to my girlfriends.

"Odell told us she started by putting you into scenarios similar to things your father went through, but as you kept trying to save others rather than kill your opponent, she switched her focus. She set you up in increasingly difficult situations designed to make you give up on saving people." Rin fisted her hands, anger in her eyes. "She practically crowed when she told us about the first time you let someone die to accomplish a task."

I swallowed, trying not to dwell on my memories of that particular scenario. I'd had to choose between eliminating a Dead Apostle and saving a child on opposite sides of a town. Every time I'd gone for the child first, at least forty people had died before I could get to the Apostle. While my ideal had always been to try to save everyone, Odell had shown me that sometimes that wasn't possible. I'd known that before, but I hadn't wanted to believe it.

"However, you frustrated Odell. She felt you… 'regressed,' as she described it, whenever you returned to us." Saber's distaste for the term was obvious. "When you told her that you were stopping your lessons, she began to worry that she would not be able to finish her project."

I nodded slowly. Odell's simulations had eventually become repetitive. After my first real Dead Apostle hunt, I'd wanted to start applying the skills I'd learned in reality, not just in my mind.

"So she used her 'graduation test' to put you further under than you'd ever been before," Rin said, picking the narrative back up again. "It allowed her to reach a level in your mind where she could plant ideas in your subconscious. I don't know how many, or exactly what they were, but apparently they would slowly unfold, becoming more and more part of your conscious decisions." Her eyes narrowed. "Odell said her only regret about your Sealing Designation was that she wouldn't see the end results of her work, though she was glad it had removed you from our 'inhibitory influence.'"

"Where is this woman?" Kazehana growled. "Is she still alive?" Akitsu was glaring, and the temperature had definitely begun to drop. Over against the wall Homura was quietly steaming, and even Matsu showed signs of barely-concealed rage.

"We had the meeting in a pretty public place near the Tower. I couldn't kill her, as much as I wanted to," Rin said, sounding regretful.

"Odell insisted on meeting the same day that Rin was to argue for your Sealing Designation," Saber added, "and she did all she could to unsettle her. Had Rin shown too much emotional attachment to you she would likely have lost her case."

"No reason we can't take care of her now," Homura said darkly. "As soon as we get out of the city…"

"I can get behind that," Rin said with a scary smile.

"Hold it." I raised my hands. I couldn't have half my Sekirei running off with Rin and Saber to London to murder Odell. She had multiple contacts in the Enforcers, and things would get messy fast. "This doesn't mean it's affected me that much—"

"Shirou," Saber interrupted, "when I watched your fight yesterday, I saw something I had never seen before." Her face was grave. "I have seen you take pride in your skill. I have seen you relish sparring and opportunities to push yourself. But I have never ever seen you anticipate the death of an enemy with joy."

"They deserved it," I declared, thinking of Toyotama and Ichiya's actions, the crimes they had helped commit.

"That may have been true. However, that does not mean you should revel in it," Saber replied, her tone disapproving. "Death in battle is a necessity. It is not something to rejoice in."

"That wouldn't have been enough by itself," Rin added, "but we were talking to Homura this morning and found out that's not the only strange thing that you've done recently."

I glanced at Homura. "What do you mean?"

"What happened with Higa," she answered.

I winced. That had honestly been right out of one of Odell's simulations, the kind that had given me nightmares. "I didn't have a choice there. The Jinki are too dangerous to let someone like Higa keep them. I couldn't risk all those people to keep my sister safe."

"And that's why we're worried. Because the Shirou we know wouldn't have made that distinction, once." Rin folded her arms. "Odell warped your thinking, and we don't know how far it's gone."

"So what can we do?" Homura asked, frowning.

Rin sighed. "I honestly don't know. The Tohsaka magecraft doesn't deal much with this sort of thing. I'm going to need to consult my library to even have a chance of knowing where to begin, but that's back in Fuyuki. The good thing is Shirou's greatest abilities lie in his own mind, so he might be able to discover these implanted suggestions and weed them out himself… maybe. I really don't know," she repeated as she ran a hand through her hair, looking frustrated. "This is outside my experience. There are probably experts back in London, but I don't want to them to know what's going on with him."

Kazehana looked thoughtful. "Could we force this Odell to reverse it?"

"It's almost impossible to force a magus to do something," I put in. "Odell doesn't have any family she cares about or weaknesses to exploit. She values her work over her life."

"And since she considers Shirou her greatest work, she'd probably rather die than undo it," said Rin with disgust.

"Maybe we can help with our bond," Matsu mused.

Rin and Saber exchanged a glance. "Honestly, I'm not sure your bond isn't helping it along," Rin admitted. "It's is clearly hardwired into his subconscious—" her eyes flickered to Homura "—so it might be helping power those suggestions."

"Is that why you were so upset about it?" I asked. It had been impossible not to notice how negatively she'd reacted to that concept yesterday.

Rin looked at the Sekirei, then back at me. "Your mind's already vulnerable because Odell managed to weaken your natural protections. I have no idea how being bonded to a bunch of psychic nonhumans could affect it." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "On the other hand, it _is_ possible the bond might be slowing the process down if you're fighting the suggestions on a deep level. The truth is there are just too many variables for us to be able to know exactly what's affecting things how."

Kazehana, who'd begun to glare at Rin as she expressed doubt in the Sekirei bond, relaxed a bit. "So what can we do?"

"We can try meditation, see if that helps Shirou-tan recognize ideas that aren't his own," Matsu suggested. "And maybe Akitsu-tan can keep an eye on Shirou-tan to see if anything strange happens, since she's with him the most?"

"Ohh, _that's_ why you said she needed to be in on this meeting," Rin said, her eyes lighting up. "That's a good idea. Can you do it, Akitsu?"

"Yes. I shall watch over Ashikabi-sama." Akitsu nodded firmly.

"In addition, it would be wise for you to consult others before you make important decisions," Saber said. "As we are uncertain how much this process is affecting you, it would be best to seek second opinions. We do not want a repeat of what happened with your sister."

I nodded. I'd gotten incredibly lucky that Shiina had chosen that exact time to rescue Yukari. I didn't want anything to happen to her.

Saber glanced around the room and nodded to herself. "There is one more thing I wish to discuss with you, Shirou."

This time everyone looked at her in surprise, including Rin. Interesting. She didn't know what Saber was up to either. "What is it?"

"What are your plans after you leave Shin Tokyo?" she asked. "Specifically, do you intend to still seek out situations where you will need to fight?"

"Of course." Saving people and becoming a hero was my goal in life. I couldn't do that by staying home, cooking and doing repair work.

"Then what will you do with your Sekirei when you do so?"

I really hadn't thought about it. "Well, I guess I could find someplace they could stay while I dealt with the trouble…" I mused, and found myself the target of four glares. "What?"

"Matsu thinks Shirou-tan forgot the lecture she gave him," the hacker muttered.

Homura nodded in agreement. "Shirou, we're your Sekirei. We will always be there by your side. You aren't going to fight without us."

"We've fought before, and will certainly continue fighting to help you," Kazehana said firmly.

"Ashikabi-sama will not fight alone," Akitsu declared.

"You don't have the right mindset for it," I told them, even as I remembered the slapping — and lecture — Matsu had given me. "You're powerful and have a lot of potential, but you would've died in some of the fights I've been in. I can't let you go into battle if I'm not there to help you, and there are some things I won't let you fight."

"If they are unprepared, you must teach them," Saber said.

"No!" I instinctively rejected the idea.

"Shirou," Saber said quietly, "Kiritsugu refused most offers of help. You know that he spoke to me only three times." Her hands tightened in her lap. I knew that she'd found my dad to be a horrible match for her as a Master in personality and abilities. To call their relationship 'strained' would've been a huge understatement. "He only included two in his plans, and I am not sure that one of them knew the full truth. You have strayed very close to it, but to try to live his dream does not mean that you need to walk his path."

"And Archer's," Rin added.

"I'm _not_ like Archer," I snapped.

Rin quirked an eyebrow. "Really? Who would know, you or his Master who saw his memories?"

I scowled. I'd picked up some of them myself, but I couldn't argue that I'd seen more than she had.

"In the end, neither accomplished what they wished to, nor were they happy." Saber gazed at me intently. "Shirou, what is your dream? What did you promise Kiritsugu?"

"I promised him I'd become an ally of justice, someone capable of saving everyone," I answered. Around me, I noticed my Sekirei's interest. I turned to address them. "It was something my dad wanted to do when he was younger, but couldn't. I promised I'd do it for him since it was too late for him." And even if it was impossible, I was going to do the best I could. I turned my attention back to Saber and Rin. "And I'm going to keep trying. I refuse to give up."

"I am not asking you to, Shirou," Saber said, "but there are many paths to becoming a hero. You have great compassion, and that is not always a weakness. It has won you a group of strong comrades who are sworn to you. I once met a hero who prized his bond to his subordinates above all else. I think that would be a good path for you." She paused, then added, "He was— also remarkably content and happy, despite the circumstances in which I met him."

I couldn't help but be intrigued. Saber was likely referring to the Fourth Grail War. Even though we had occasionally talked about some of Kiritsugu's actions during it, we had never gone over it in detail. Which hero could she have meant?

"In addition, there is your own life to consider. You do not wish to endanger those sworn to you, but by going into danger, you do so, whether they are with you or not," Saber pointed out. "Their lives end with yours. To not allow them to guard your back is foolishness."

"I just don't want them to be hurt," I muttered, having a sinking feeling I was losing this fight.

"We'd be hurt either way, Shirou-tan," Matsu said gently. "Just knowing Shirou-tan's been hurt when we weren't there to protect him is bad enough. Having Shirou-tan come home after the third match was— difficult."

Her pained face felt like a punch in the gut. I had engaged Toyotama and Ichiya thinking only that they didn't deserve to have my Sekirei give them a gentle release, and yes, I had been anticipating the fight, pleased to use the skills I'd honed for their intended purpose. But I hadn't thought about how difficult it must've been for Kazehana, Akitsu, and Tsukiumi not to interfere as I was hurt. It was a testament to Akitsu's loyalty that she'd held to my instructions in spite of my injury. Had it been better or worse for those Sekirei I'd left home, watching the match from afar, knowing that I was injured and there was nothing they could do to help me?

I shook my head, still reluctant. "I don't think this is necessary. We're going to be done with the Sekirei Plan soon enough." I didn't want my flock fighting the type of dangers I'd faced when I was in London.

Saber placed her hands on her hips. "I do not understand why you are so reluctant, Shirou. Surely you are familiar with the concept of a team of fighters with different abilities working together for a common goal. You read several stories about it in your youth, did you not?"

I paused, trying to understand what Saber was talking about, and felt my face heat once it clicked. Shortly after Kiritsugu had died, I'd latched onto any story I could find involving heroes, from western movies to manga to legends from all over the world. Looking back on it, I'd clearly been trying to cope with his loss. "I'm, um, surprised you know about that."

"Taiga provided me with some samples of your collection when we were back in Fuyuki. I do not understand the importance of matching outfits, nor do I believe that robotic vehicles will be feasible, but I daresay you should not need either."

There is some deity somewhere that hates me. There are days I swear Fuji-nee is really a magus and her magecraft is specialized in doing things that come back to haunt me years down the line. I hadn't seen her in almost two years and _still_ she managed to embarrass me!

Under absolutely no circumstances could I let Yukari find out that Saber was turning my Sekirei into a… a sentai team. I'd never hear the end of it.

Then another idea popped into my mind, and I began to pray fervently, promising sacrifices to any power that would grant my plea. Never _ever_ let Fuji-nee meet Yukari. It would be a disaster of epic proportions. Mostly for the one named Shirou Emiya.

"Wait," Homura said, realization slowly blossoming on her face, "is she saying we're a—"

"Don't say it," I muttered. "Especially not where Yukari can hear you."

"Matsu calls white!" Matsu joked, apparently also having realized what Saber was referencing. "Musubi-tan would be good for pink."

"White? Pink?" Kazehana's brow was furrowed in confusion.

"It's not important." I waved the idea away, then looked at my Sekirei. Back on topic. "If you're serious about this—"

"We _are_," Homura said firmly.

"—then I guess we'll have to train you," I said, finally capitulating. If I couldn't keep them out of battles with elementals, Dead Apostles, rogue magi, and who knew what else, then I'd have to help them be prepared for them.

"Excellent," Saber said, a small smile on her face. She turned her attention to Kazehana. "I understand that you have the most combat experience of all Shirou's Sekirei."

"Yes…" Kazehana answered, clearly not sure where Saber was going.

"In that case, I believe you would make a good second-in-command." Kazehana's eyebrows rose in surprise. "While it is my hope we will be able to train you to all be able to act decisively and independently should it ever be necessary, Shirou will need someone he can place in charge should he need to divide his forces." Saber frowned. "Unfortunately, I am not always able to fight by his side, as the nature of my contract requires me to remain relatively close to Rin."

"And I have class most of the time," Rin added.

"Thus it would be good to have at least one person used to leading the group aside from Shirou. In the event of another scenario where you must accomplish multiple goals, such as the Higa situation, dividing your party will allow you to do more without sacrificing objectives. That is how Shirou, Rin, and I act when necessary. Due to your greater experience, you are the most logical choice to lead and direct the second group," Saber concluded.

Kazehana glanced at me, and I nodded in agreement. If it hadn't been for her quick thinking during the third match, I likely wouldn't be sitting here. "I think you'll do a good job."

"You can teach them some of the stuff you learned from Odell." Rin's lips twisted. "She may have messed with your head, but as you pointed out, you did learn some useful stuff."

"In that case, we should go to someplace where I can test your abilities as a group as soon as time allows," Saber said. "I have studied your profiles, but I would prefer to see you in action myself."

I glanced at my watch. "After lunch?" I suggested. I'd be done baking by then.

"Excellent." Saber smiled.

Two hours later, I found myself in the woods near the clearing where Tsukiumi and Musubi had used their Noritos for the first time. Akitsu, Homura, Musubi, Tsukiumi, and Kazehana stood opposite Saber. With a shinai in hand, dressed in her familiar blue skirt and white blouse, the former Servant looked exactly as she had during the Holy Grail War when she'd trained me. Kuu, Matsu, and Miya sat off to the side, looking on with interest. Rin had excused herself, claiming she had a job interview.

"What side am I on, Saber?" I asked.

"Neither. I wish you to observe for now." She addressed the Sekirei. "If you are struck in the torso or the head, you are to retire from the field."

Tsukiumi bristled a bit. "And what about you?"

"I will obey the same rules," Saber agreed easily. Her stance, however, indicated that she doubted it would come to that.

I looked at her. "You're going to go easy on them, aren't you?"

Saber raised an eyebrow, a hand on her hip. "That would defeat the purpose of this exercise. If the Sekirei wish to fight with you, they must know exactly what sort of foes they will be facing."

"Hmph." Tsukiumi crossed her arms. "It will be no challenge for me, the strongest Sekirei."

"Strength alone is not enough," Saber said crisply. "A skilled or clever opponent can bring down a stronger one." She raised her shinai in her hands, focusing on the group before her. "Let us begin." She shot forward, towards the gathered Sekirei.

"Number eighty-eight, Musubi!" Musubi jumped right into Saber's path. She dodged the first strike, then ducked under the weapon to try closing the distance between them. Saber darted back, bringing her shinai quickly up to attack Musubi again, this time scoring a hit on her left arm. Musubi dashed out of range of a follow-up strike, and Saber raised her blade for an overhand swing. I winced as Musubi's eyes lit up and her hands came up to catch the shinai—

—and missed, the weapon hitting her on the head with a resounding smack. As quickly as it had happened, Saber shot off towards the others, who scattered. Homura sent a gout of flame at her, and quickly retreated as it vanished upon encountering her magical resistance. Saber slowed as Kazehana and Akitsu targeted her together, ice and wind surrounding her, but despite their best efforts, it never touched her.

Homura had apparently decided that attacking directly was pointless, and set fire to the brush in the clearing. Saber leapt the blazing barrier to close the distance between them, though a gust of wind from Kazehana fanned the flames higher so that the edge of her skirt caught fire. Saber tucked into a controlled roll to smother it but immediately surged to her feet once it was out, continuing her pursuit. Homura barely managed to conjure a higher wall of flame in time to push her back, retreating further.

"Water Celebration!" Tsukiumi called, trying to come to Homura's aid. Water hissed against fire as Saber avoided the attack and pivoted on her heel, plowing through the resultant cloud of steam as she changed targets. Ice spears flew along her path, forcing her to dodge, but though it slowed her charge it wasn't enough. Tsukiumi was still in her trademark pose of attack when Saber came close enough to land a diagonal strike that would've split her chest open had she been using a real blade. Tsukiumi gasped, surprised by the strength of the blow, and stumbled back.

"Tsukiumi!" Homura shouted.

Saber spun, returning her attention to the fire user. Her eyes narrowed as she sped towards her again.

Homura quickly fell back. "Fire Snake!"

The attack surged towards Saber, who ignored it. Within inches of her skin the flames flickered out. Homura raised her hands to attack again, but Saber flashed forward, once more avoiding a volley of Akitsu's ice shards, and the fire user fell to another chest strike before Saber turned to face Akitsu directly. With a burst of prana she rapidly closed the distance between them. Akitsu quickly called up a thick shield of ice as she fell back, but Saber punched through it with her shinai, though the blow broke the weapon in half. As the shield shattered a gust of wind howled between the two of them, driving the sharp chunks of ice towards Saber, who lightly jumped back. She coolly regarded Akitsu, who'd taken advantage of Kazehana's distraction to increase the distance between them, and then charged again.

Akitsu sent volley after volley of razor-sharp spears and daggers of ice against her foe, Kazehana's gales surging around her and lending greater force and speed to the attacks, but Saber moved lightly among the deadly projectiles, dodging most and smashing the rest into powdery frost with her fractured shinai. With a wordless shout and another burst of prana, she closed the last few yards between them before Akitsu could call up another ice shield, thrusting the remnant of her weapon to land a hit that would have pierced the Sekirei's heart.

Akitsu stumbled back, then made her way to my side, joining Homura and Tsukiumi, who moved slowly as they supported each other, along the way.

The sound of wind drew my attention back to the fight. Kazehana was not going down easily, and, now that the field was clear except for her and Saber, had decided to use her powers on a much greater level. A maelstrom roared around her, lifting twigs, sticks, and rocks from the ground and the trees, flinging them at her opponent. Saber's progress slowed against the attacks, since she had to take time to counter the thrown objects. I wasn't sure they could've really hurt her, considering mundane weaponry was essentially useless against a Servant, but Saber wasn't exactly a Servant, and even when she had been she'd always been a unique case.

Still, regardless of the obstacles before her, Saber continued to advance, finally getting within reach of her target. She managed to land a blow on Kazehana's arm that made me wince in sympathy before the Sekirei spun away, the wind tightening around her to increase her speed. The pattern repeated, Kazehana trying to wound Saber with her wind-driven projectiles while Saber moved closer and closer, managing to land blow after blow, though not one of them could be considered a one-hit kill.

Watching Kazehana call her winds about her to move away again, I noticed the sweat gathering on her brow, her chest heaving with the need to breathe.

She was getting tired.

Saber seemed to notice it too. Gathering her prana, she plowed through Kazehana's defenses faster than the Sekirei could reinforce them, finally managing to land a blow against her chest. Both women froze, the fierce hurricane winds that had been buffeting the clearing finally calming.

I was impressed to notice that despite their force, neither wind nor debris had escaped Kazehana's control. For all their fury, they had not harmed me, my flock, or Miya.

"Whew. Matsu is glad she didn't have to get involved." The hacker shook her head.

"You are very skilled, Saber-san," Miya commented as the former Servant approached us.

Saber simply inclined her head in acknowledgment and handed me what was left of her shinai. I allowed the prana to disperse, the projection fading from existence. "Your findings, Saber?" I asked.

"You all have great potential." She glanced over her vanquished foes, who were all looking at her with more than a little awe. "Akitsu, your aim and reaction time are excellent. Homura and Kazehana, you both showed very good use of your environment. Most of you would be able to defend against or defeat an average magus."

"I'm sensing a 'but' here," Homura said dryly.

"Shirou does not fight average magi. He has, in the past, tracked creatures that have killed multiple magi, even some trained in combat." Saber looked around the group. "Tsukiumi, you need to work on the speed of your attacks, as well as moving to ensure you can defend yourself when you finish. All of you should develop some more close-range attacks, including ones that are physical rather than elemental in nature. Your enemies may have magic resistance, as I do." She frowned at Musubi. "Musubi, at your skill level you should be attempting not to catch a blade but to evade it. Your defenses were good until you saw my overhand strike, and then you only focused on catching it. Such tricks should be attempted only after you master your own abilities."

"Yes, Saber-san," Musubi said, sounding disappointed in herself.

"Musubi-chan, I will practice with you more when we return to Izumo House," Miya promised.

Musubi perked up. "Thank you, Landlady-san!"

"In the meantime, let us have another round. This time, try to stagger your attacks so that you are covering your own openings," Saber instructed. "I will give you five minutes to discuss your strategy."

"Kuu wants to train too!" my littlest Sekirei announced.

"No!" I quickly shook my head. Saber's training methods were far too rough to inflict on a child.

Kuu stomped her foot. "Kuu is strong too! Kuu wants a sword!"

"Actually, now would be a good time to begin working with her," Saber said thoughtfully. "She will not yet have learned poor habits."

I stared at her in shock. "You can't be serious."

"She seems to be about the same age I was when I began my own training in the sword," Saber countered. "I will need you to obtain the appropriate materials. It will take time, but she could grow to be a good swordswoman."

I blinked, realizing that Saber intended to use more traditional methods than the harsh learn-or-die education she'd given me. "…Right."

"Yay! Sa-neechan is the best!" Kuu ran over and hugged Saber's leg.

Saber gave her an awkward pat before returning her attention to my gathered Sekirei. "I believe an hour of practice shall be sufficient for today."

I looked at the expression on her face, recognized it as her most determined, and sighed. "Just sure they can walk back." There was no way I could carry five Sekirei, and from the look on Matsu's face, she wouldn't be too keen about helping out.

An hour later we returned to Izumo House, the Sekirei who'd fought Saber all looking worse for wear. Most of them quickly went to the bath, though Homura vanished into her room instead. Matsu and Kuu did likewise, Kuu looking for exercise clothes, while Miya headed to the kitchen, leaving me alone with Saber. "I know you want them to be able to fight with me," I told her, "but don't you think you're being a bit harsh?"

"If you are attacked by magi again, Shirou, it will not be without backup," she said firmly.

"Still, you're using a lot of prana…" I knew Rin had a lot, but I didn't want Saber to draw too heavily on her.

"Yes, I am." Saber paused. An awkward silence fell between us as she looked at me intently.

"…What?"

"I _used a great deal of prana_."

_Oh_. I reflexively licked my lips a bit. "…It's Friday."

Saber gave me a dark look. "We would not be sleeping or eating, Shirou."

"I know, but—" Friday was Matsu's day, and she had given sleeping privileges to Kazehana.

Saber turned away, her shoulders tensing. "If you would prefer not to, we need not do anything."

I looked at the way she was holding herself and went to her, wrapping my arms around her waist as I pulled her back against me. "It's not that. Of course I want to. I always want you, Saber," I said softly, pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck. Saber was extremely self-conscious about her own attractiveness. Being frozen in time as a young teen made her worry that her slim form was unwomanly. Rin and I had tried for years to convince her otherwise, but some doubts, it seemed, stuck no matter what we said. "I'm just trying to be fair."

"Nothing about this situation is fair, Shirou," Saber murmured, leaning into my embrace.

I winced, and my arms tightened around her a little more. The truth was that I wanted her too. It had been a long time since we'd had any time alone together. When it had been just the three of us, I'd had time with both Rin and Saber individually as well as together, but now one of them would have to sacrifice a night for the other to have that. With only two nights a week together, none of us were keen on the idea. "We'll have to be quick," I warned. It wouldn't be too long until my flock got out of the bath.

Saber turned to kiss me. "I am sure we will manage."

* * *

As I finished icing the strawberry shortcake, I pondered the problem I now had. "What's wrong, Shirou-tan?" Matsu asked, catching the expression on my face.

"I'm just trying to figure out how to deliver these to the Discipline Squad."

Everyone went silent for a moment. I'd been doing my best to make MBI wary of me, so it wouldn't be wise to just walk up to their front door and offer up the basket myself, and I wasn't sending one of my Sekirei to do it. I could try calling Seo, but I had the feeling there wasn't enough money in the world to make him take this job.

"What about Takami?" Homura asked.

"What about her?"

"Well, you have her phone number, and she works for MBI…" Homura trailed off.

It wasn't a bad idea, really. I knew that Takami was familiar with Karasuba, having seen them together first at the airport and then when we'd encountered them after killing Higa and retrieving the Jinki. On the other hand, our last meeting had been strained.

"Who's Takami?" Rin asked, looking interested.

"Shirou-tan's mother," Matsu explained.

"Well, that seems like an obvious choice, then. Call her and ask her to drop it off."

I winced. "Things were a little awkward the last time we met."

"Oh? Why?" Rin leaned forward on one hand.

"She found out about my extracurricular activities while we were in London," I summarized. Takami hadn't taken the fact that I was a mercenary — or, as she had said, an assassin — well. Honestly, I couldn't blame her. "It's safer if she doesn't associate with me anyway. I don't want her to be dragged into having to deal with the consequences of my actions."

"_Our_ actions," Matsu muttered.

Rin narrowed her eyes a bit. "Shouldn't that be her choice? Did she tell you she didn't want to talk to you or anything like that?" I shook my head. "Then call her. If she doesn't want to see you, she'll say no."

"She'd be safer—"

"Call her. You're lucky to have her." Rin stood up and left the table, leaving her plate behind.

Besides me, Kuu shifted uneasily. "Is Rin-neechan okay?"

"She will be all right. She just needs a moment to herself." Saber comforted Kuu. "She will return soon."

"Yeah," I agreed as I fumbled for my phone. After we'd been together a while I'd pieced together Rin's family history. She'd lost her father in the fourth Holy Grail War, but perhaps even worse, her mother had lost her sanity at the same time. Rin had been essentially alone, except for Kotomine, from that time onward, though she'd taken care of her mother as best she could. How much would Rin have given for the chance to really speak to her again?

"I'll be right back." I rose and headed out onto the porch before carefully dialing the number Takami had given me so many months ago. It rang three times before I heard her pick up. "Takami?"

"Shirou." For a moment, awkward silence hung between us. Takami coughed a bit. "Was there something you needed?"

"Yes, actually. Do you mind making a delivery to the Discipline Squad for me?"

The other end of the line went silent for so long I was worried the call had been disconnected or Takami had hung up on me. "You want me to take something to the Discipline Squad," she finally said slowly, sounding as if she suspected she'd heard me incorrectly.

"It took me a while, but I finally made the baked goods they asked for," I explained.

"Baked goods?" Takami sounded bewildered. "What are you— wait, didn't you mention something about this during the third match?"

"Yes," I confirmed. "I promised Karasuba some tarts, but I couldn't just send some to her. After all, she's not the only one working hard."

"Hardly working, I'd say," Takami muttered. "I should have her pick them up."

I winced. "Well, I'm at Izumo House right now, and I don't really think that would be the best idea…"

"Hmm." Takami's thoughtful voice made me pace a bit, even though I wasn't usually one for restless motion. "As amusing as it might be, it'd likely end in quite a mess. I suppose I'll have to refrain." She paused. "You realize it'll need to be tested for poison."

My eyes narrowed. "I don't kill people with poison," I said flatly. I fought fairly whenever I could. If necessary I might take down someone from afar, as I had with Higa, but I didn't like poison. It was too easy to accidentally get someone else involved.

There was a moment of silence again, then a small sigh. "I can come over around six. Would that work?" Takami finally asked.

I grimaced, grateful I wasn't having this conversation in person. I had to wonder if she'd been about to ask how I _did_ kill people. "That'd be fine," I agreed. "I'll see you then."

The time before Takami's arrival was nerve-wracking. Trying to keep myself busy, I packed the baked goods and worked on dinner. I was surprised how genuinely anxious I was about seeing my mother again. The last time we'd met I'd said goodbye to her, expecting to never see her again under friendly terms. Now I was asking her to deliver something to my probable enemies as a favor.

My life sure was strange sometimes.

When the knock on the front door finally came, I headed to answer it, Akitsu carrying the box of baked goods behind me. "Takami."

"Shirou." Takami raised her eyebrows. "You're blocking the door."

"Uh—" I reflexively stepped aside, and Takami came in and removed her shoes. "I thought you were just going to pick up the box."

"Well, I was, but Miya called a little while after we got off the phone and invited me to dinner," Takami said simply. She snagged a pair of guest slippers and headed towards the dining room.

I quickly hurried after her, catching sight of a smiling Miya. "It has been a long time since we've seen each other, Takami-san. And to find out you're the mother of my main boarder — well, I thought it was time we caught up." Miya turned her attention to me, her smile turning into the barest bit of a smirk. I had the distinct impression she'd heard that Takami and I were on less than perfect terms — and that this was her revenge for allowing things to escalate between Rin and Kazehana yesterday. Never mind that Miya herself had prevented me from trying to stop it.

"Takami-san!" Musubi cried, hurrying to greet her.

"Takami-neechan!" Kuu threw herself at our guest, hugging her tightly. "You're okay!" I had no idea what Kuu was talking about until I remembered Takami had been injured shortly before Kuu had been winged. Takami greeted the two Sekirei before nodding at Homura and Kazehana, her eyes sweeping the room, pausing on Saber and Rin. "Shirou, won't you introduce me to your… friends?"

I swallowed hard. This would either go very well or very poorly. "Takami, this is Tohsaka Rin and Saber. Rin, Saber, this is my mother, Takami Sahashi."

All three studied each other for a moment. "I'm surprised to see you here," Takami said slowly.

"It took us a while to get things sorted out in London, but we managed." Rin smiled, donning her old school persona — polite, mature, slightly distant — effortlessly. "We've only recently arrived."

"I see. And how exactly are you handling this situation?" Takami asked me, giving me a sharp glance.

I could tell what she was asking. I'd had two old girlfriends show up on my doorstep, but I had my Sekirei. I briefly wondered if she was more concerned about me or them. After all, I might've been her son, but we'd spent most of my life estranged, while she'd adjusted several of the Sekirei and might think of them almost as her children themselves, especially Kuu.

"We're… making it work." I couldn't deny that the situation with the Sekirei and Rin and Saber was awkward at times, but everyone was trying to get along the best they could.

I really hoped Rin and Kazehana's fight yesterday would be the worst of it.

"Compromise is necessary for relationships," Saber said simply.

"But we all love Shirou-san, so it'll be okay!" Musubi added, beaming.

"Anyway, I should finish dinner," I said, moving towards the kitchen.

Rin put out her hand. "I'll do it. Why don't you talk with Sahashi-san?"

I hesitated, then reluctantly passed off my apron to her and took a seat. Musubi was busy explaining the whiteboard to Takami, who'd taken the seat next to Kuu at my youngest Sekirei's urging. I took advantage of the momentary distraction to retreat to the kitchen brew a pot of tea, though Rin kicked me out as soon as it was done.

I returned to find Takami beginning to interrogate my former Servant. "Saber is an unusual name. Is it a pseudonym?"

I shifted a little as I poured the tea, feeling uneasy. I'd actually worried more about Rin meeting Takami than Saber. The once and future king had amazing charisma, and most people were easily charmed by her. It seemed my mother was at least a bit resistant to it, though.

"Yes," Saber freely admitted. I tried to keep my face expressionless. Saber didn't really like to lie except by omission, which occasionally led to… interesting stories. It wasn't usually that much of an issue, but this particular topic wasn't something she'd ever been pressed on, either.

"Then I suppose your name is too recognizable?" Takami asked, and Saber nodded. The older woman looked at her for a moment, as if assembling her thoughts. "Exactly how did my son start dating nobility?"

I stared. How had she put those two together? Yes, Saber had admitted the name she went by wasn't her real name, but… well, she knew that Saber was from England, and she still had her regal bearing…

"I came to him in Fuyuki four years ago." Saber sipped the tea I handed her and said nothing more.

Takami looked at her, clearly calculating how determined Saber was to keep silent, and then changed topics. "I understand you were at school with my son. What do you study?"

"I am Shirou's sword instructor," came the reply. "I do not study anything."

"And _why_ does he need to learn to use swords?"

"To save others," Saber said simply.

"Like he saved Kuu!" My youngest Sekirei tugged at Takami's sleeve. "There was a bad Sekirei trying to hurt Kuu, and Oniichan made her go away."

"I see." Takami looked down at her. "And what do you think of Rin and Saber?"

Okay, I'd realized that my mother wasn't above using underhanded methods to get information, but interrogating a child? That was just too much.

"Rin-neechan comes up with all sorts of fun games for Kuu to try!" she said happily. "Lots of tricks with flowers! But Sa-neechan is the best. She feels really bright and nice."

"She _feels_ nice?" Takami repeated, dumbfounded.

I had to wonder about that one as well, but given that Kuu was supposedly one of the most psychically gifted Sekirei, it brought to mind something Issei had said when he'd first met Saber after the Holy Grail War. "Her spirit is pure." Everyone looked at me except Kuu, who nodded vigorously in agreement. "Um, it's something my friend said about Saber once."

"Oh? Which friend?" Matsu asked, looking interested.

"Issei Ryuudou. He was at the same high school as me." I noticed all the interested expressions around me. "It's not that important," I said dismissively.

"Shirou-tan is still so mysterious." Matsu pouted. "Can't Shirou-tan tell us?"

"If you really want me to, I guess…" So I talked about Issei and school for a while, eventually branching off into my work at Copenhagen and what my boss had been like, as well as some of the tamer stories I had about Fuji-nee. Both my Sekirei and Takami hung on every word — especially Takami, who asked a seemingly endless number of questions. I didn't understand it. Why would my time in Fuyuki be so interesting to her? I wasn't telling her about anything more than mundane student life.

By silent agreement, much the way we'd avoiding speaking about the Sekirei at one point, we avoided the topic of Kiritsugu Emiya. Neither Takami nor I wanted to resurrect that point of contention.

Only Rin's return to the table as dinner was served released me. Takami regarded her with interest. "So, Tohsaka-san, what are you studying in London?"

"Mineralogy, with a focus on gemology," she answered promptly. "It's a family tradition."

"I see." Takami took a bite of her meal, nodding in appreciation. "Why are you investigating Sekirei abilities, then?"

What did she— oh. The "games" Rin was having Kuu play must not have been games at all. I felt a little slow for not picking up on that.

"Because they're interesting!" Rin folded her arms. "I don't know how anyone could meet them and _not_ want to know how they worked."

Takami stared at her for a moment and then began to laugh. "It's too bad you don't have an interest in bioengineering. You would've fit in well at MBI." That was all the invitation Rin needed to start asking questions about the company. Much to my surprise, Saber asked a few of her own.

After a little while, I asked one myself, something that had been bothering me since our last meeting. "Takami, you don't agree with Minaka, and I know you don't like the Sekirei Plan. Why do you stay at MBI?"

Takami looked surprised, then glanced at Miya. "When Takehito left MBI, I made him a promise that I'd stay and watch over the Sekirei. I thought about leaving too, but when others tried to take over the adjustment process, mistakes were made." Her eyes flickered to Akitsu. Interesting. "Even now that everyone's been winged, I need to help with the terminated Sekirei. I don't like the Plan, but I won't let them face it alone. I try to rein in Minaka, though with limited success." Her mouth twisted. "I don't suppose you've changed your mind about their offer?"

I shook my head. "I won't work for MBI." They'd done too many awful things to the Sekirei. My hands were hardly clean, but I refused to work for a group like them. "I can't."

"This Minaka…" Saber mused. "The impression I have received from Matsu and Homura indicates that he does not care for those under his protection. He started the Sekirei Plan?" Takami nodded. "Then what would happen if he were removed from the picture?"

Homura perked up at that, looking at Saber eagerly. Kazehana, on the other hand, seemed upset. "You can't do that!" I was surprised at the fervor of her objection. The rest of my Sekirei had always been neutral towards Minaka, with the exception of Homura, of course.

"I'm afraid Kazehana's right," Takami conceded. "You're probably not aware of how much of MBI's resources are tied up in keeping the Sekirei relatively unknown. Minaka has control of literally the entire company. If he were to die, there'd be too much time wasted on dividing up the spoils to protect the Sekirei. Things wouldn't end well." She sighed. "I don't even know if he's ever had a will made. He really should have, but Minaka isn't exactly the most practical of people."

"Aren't they showing matches on TV?" Rin asked. "How is that keeping the Sekirei a secret?"

"They're specifically broadcast only to the residences of Ashikabi," Takami said, and sighed. "It'd be easier if we didn't bother, but Minaka insisted." She glanced at her watch, then reluctantly rose. "Unfortunately, as lovely as this has been, I need to be heading out."

"Goodbye, Takami-san!" Musubi said cheerfully. "Come visit again soon!"

"Yes, Takami-neechan!" Kuu gave her a hug. "Please!"

Takami lightly patted Kuu's head before looking at me. "Promise me you'll take care of yourself."

"Don't worry, we'll take care of him," Kazehana interjected. Around me, both my Sekirei and Rin and Saber nodded in agreement.

"I see you're in good hands," Takami teased.

"So I'm told," I replied as I stood, fetching the box I had packed the baked goods in. "Most of this is for the Discipline Squad, but this one is for you, and this is for Yukari." I indicated two bags off to the side.

"I'll see that they get it," Takami promised.

Homura spoke up suddenly. "I'll walk you out to your car," she offered, taking the box from Takami and following her from the dining room.

"Well." I looked over the table as my mother left. "It wouldn't be fair for me to have you help make things and not get to taste them, would it?" Everyone turned to look at me. I headed into the kitchen to retrieve a tray bearing two smaller cakes as well as muffins and tarts for everyone to share. "Who wants dessert?"

* * *

Homura had been having a very strange day.

Immediately after breakfast he'd asked to talk to Rin and Saber alone. After what had happened last night, it had become imperative that he apologize to them as well as Shirou. Let them take out their anger on him. He could handle it, and more importantly, he deserved it. What followed was nothing less than an inquisition as he was questioned more thoroughly than he'd ever been in his life. Rin, he realized about halfway through, was actually a lot like Takami. She had the same sharp mind likely to pick up unspoken details, and the same bad temper when she was crossed. Saber had been equally involved in the discussion, and it had been both amazing and intimidating to see the king of legend in action. She clearly must have been a master negotiator in life, managing to coax things out of him that had surprised him.

By the end, they'd known more about him and his situation than he'd ever intended to tell them. Still, he hadn't been upset; they'd given him hope.

Rin had been appalled by what his bond with Shirou had done to him, but then she'd revealed that it _was_ possible to put filtering on mental links to magi. She had some on her own with Saber so she didn't constantly see Saber's past in her dreams, not wanting to pry too much. She wasn't sure if it would work with a Sekirei bond, but Homura was more than willing to try, if Shirou would as well.

When he'd first been winged, Homura had clung to the ancient Greek concepts of love: _agape_, _philia_, and _eros_. More specifically, he'd hoped that his relationship with Shirou would be a platonic one, and that he'd be able to remain in a relationship that would stay within the realms of _agape_ or _philia_ and never stray into the sexual context of _eros_. As his body had changed, however, he'd struggled with the idea that he would eventually be forced into desiring another man, regardless of his own natural preferences. When the transformation had finished, he'd given up. There was no reason to fight it anymore, and telling Shirou how he felt would have only hurt his Ashikabi.

But even if he was stuck in a female body for the rest of his life, to retain his male identity, to never want a sexual relationship with Shirou — that would be worth some experiments no matter how uncertain their results.

The nature of his change had allowed his conversation with Rin and Saber to drift off topic for a bit, before Saber had brought up something else they'd wanted to discuss with him. Homura had found himself reciting his observations of Shirou under various circumstances, many of which caused frowns to grow on Saber's and Rin's faces. Halfway through, Matsu had appeared at the doorway to his room, undoubtedly made aware of what was going on due to her excessive peeping, and had contributed her own thoughts.

Then Rin and Saber had told them what they'd discovered in London.

Homura took a slow, deep breath, trying to calm himself. Silvia Odell had earned the dubious privilege of ousting Minaka from his position as the person Homura most wanted to kill. How _dare_ she do that to Shirou. How _dare_ she harm his Ashikabi, who, at least from what Rin and Saber said, wanted to save others more than anything else.

Odell had better watch herself. Sooner or later Homura _would _find her, and then she'd pay for what she'd done.

To top it all off, he and four of his fellow Sekirei had had the dubious honor of being singlehandedly defeated by King Arthur before they'd all sat down to dinner with his MBI informant, who happened to be his Ashikabi's mother. Yes, it had been a very strange day indeed.

"I'm sorry, Homura."

Takami's voice shook Homura out of his thoughts. It took him a second to realize what she meant, and then he realized his change could hardly be hidden anymore. He sighed. "It's not your fault." Even Takehito's own skill at adjusting Sekirei hadn't been able to help. "It's… it's better than it could be. Shirou is a good Ashikabi."

"Is he." Takami pursed her lips.

Homura shifted the box in his arms a bit. Shirou probably hadn't been aware of it, but Matsu had bugged his clothing before she'd let him leave for his meeting with Takami. Homura had listened to their entire conversation, waiting to see if he needed to step in and help Akitsu rescue their Ashikabi. Thankfully that hadn't been necessary, but he had learned just what sort of impression Takami might've gotten about her son.

He didn't want her to think Shirou was a cold-hearted killer. Yes, he had occasionally shown a side like that — a side that might very well have been the result of Odell's tampering — but there was so much more to him. Homura was tempted to tell her Shirou had been brainwashed, but that would only make her more likely to drag him off someplace for treatment. Still, there had to be _something_ he could say to help her realize Shirou wasn't what she thought. "…Takami, you know I decided to be the guardian of the Sekirei." She nodded. "Just before he winged me, I asked Shirou if he'd let me continue doing so."

"What did he say?" Takami asked, looking interested.

"Not only did he say he would, but he offered to help if I ever needed it," Homura replied. At the time he'd through the idea ridiculous, but considering the talents his Ashikabi had shown… Takami looked surprised. "He's not an assassin, Takami. Maybe you should look deeper into the situations he got into while he was in England. He really does want to help people. Sometimes he just… he gets overenthusiastic."

"And here I was hoping he didn't get anything from his father," Takami muttered darkly. She studied Homura intently. "You were listening, then. At the restaurant."

"Heh. You didn't really expect Matsu to send him off without someone to keep an eye on him, did you?"

"True, and you're one of the best Sekirei at fitting in." Takami hesitated. "Take care of him?"

"Believe me, we intend to. Shirou's surprised us too much. It's about time we turn the tables on him." Takami's lips quirked in amusement. "He has several single digits, and even Miya's fond of him." Not to mention what Rin and Saber could do. Homura wasn't sure about Rin's abilities, but Saber had proven herself a match for any Sekirei. "We'll keep him safe," he promised.

"Good." Takami smiled and opened her car door, and Homura set the box next to her as she slid inside. "Have a good night, Homura. Keep in touch."

"I will," he promised, watching Takami's car pull away before heading inside. They had a lot of work to do before they could become powerful enough to protect Shirou in every situation, not just the Sekirei Plan, and he had no intention of wasting time now. Saber had promised them lessons on tactics, and there was no time like the present to start.

* * *

Notes:

The thing about IF Shirou is that he has a mind/skill set that doesn't really seem to fit Sunny Day Shirou. While it is certainly something that could develop organically given time and certain types of experiences, we didn't see how it could've happened given the circumstances of his background as given in IF. He spent a year in Fuyuki, then two in London, all with Rin and Saber, neither of whom would really be able (or want) to shape him in that way. They aren't Natalia, so he needed an equivalent (though obviously Odell cares less about Shirou as a person than Natalia did about Kiritsugu). On the plus side, this gives the people who love him someone they can all hate together! We did consider not addressing this issue at all, but after rereading the third match and the Higa arc we couldn't believe Rin and Saber wouldn't see it — and be deeply concerned.

(Odell brags about her work to Rin and Saber in a relatively safe setting because she finds it pointless to create a piece of 'art' if no one is aware of what she did. Pride, through and through.)

As far as the Path of the Shura goes, we looked into the shura/asura/every variant spelling we could think of and couldn't find anything that really fit the Path of the Shura with how it was described in IF. So our question was, if it wasn't a historical idea Shirou could have heard of, where in the world did he come up with it? Our thoughts were that it could very well be the result of what happens when you combine Shirou's deeply held desire to save with a subconsciously-imposed image, specifically the idea of an asura, a wrathful, warlike demigod. We realize this is a horrible plot device yanked right out of _Inception_, and are pretty much expecting to get flack for it, but we couldn't find another way to make it make sense within the text. (Interestingly enough, in IF the Path of the Shura is mentioned briefly and then slowly starts growing in importance, almost as if a seed were blossoming…)

So there you have it. As much as it might be occasionally _satisfying_ to blame all of Shirou's changes on Sekirei bonds, getting a Sekirei doesn't confer a degree from assassin school. (Besides, Linn did that once already. Repeating yourself is boring!)

On Saber curbstomping the Sekirei: This is completely intentional. All the research we've done on Sekirei fighting gave us only fights with Sekirei vs. Sekirei, or Sekirei vs. mundane humans and their equipment. In addition, in IF, the majority of the Sekirei are described as lacking combat skill. Combined, this leads us to believe there'd be a huge difference in skill and experience here, even with former Discipline Squad members. None of the Sekirei have ever fought trained opponents who use magecraft or elements thereof. On the other hand, Saber has not only fought against various mythical beasts and in several wars at a point in space-time from which multiple heroic spirits originated, but she's also fought in two Holy Grail Wars. Experience matters, and the Sekirei don't have that. Yet. (This, by the way, is Saber's coping mechanism.)

On Homura's interlude: The Sekirei wiki indicates that Homura still considers himself male, at least mentally. We thought this was certainly possible in IF, where his change was a gradual one, and wanted to highlight what Homura might be feeling in his situation. Magecraft will not provide an easy 'fix' for him during the course of Steadfast, but we wanted to put the possibility out there.

On where things are going: While we originally stated we'd be lifting concepts from the rest of IF, Steadfast went and developed its own plots and conflict on us. While it is possible that IF's concluding chapters will have concepts similar to what we've planned for Steadfast, we'll be ignoring that and following our own plot outline once we've finished laying the groundwork. To preclude possibilities of cross-contamination, we won't be reading any IF posted after chapter 41 until Steadfast is finished. (Yes, we know about the big revelation of IF 42 due to people's reactions, but since that came up only after our divergence point we won't be using it.)


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Sekirei and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Sakurako Gokurakuin and her associates. Fate/stay night and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Type-Moon and its associates. The story "In Flight" is written by Gabriel Blessing. No financial gain is intended or made by this story.

* * *

Saturday morning I was faced with a mystery. Everyone was downstairs, ready for breakfast, except Matsu and Rin. Rin could've very well been asleep in her bed, but Saber was already down here. And Matsu rarely was late for a meal, the setting for so many 'soap opera' moments. Not to mention she enjoyed my food as well.

So where were they?

"Saber, is Rin still asleep?"

Saber paused, chopsticks in hand. "I do not know. She did not come to bed last night."

Okay, that was beyond strange. "I'll be back in a bit." I headed upstairs to Matsu's room. The hacker at least was likely to be there, and she could probably help me find Rin. I paused as I reached the door.

"What I don't understand is if the universe is expanding, what is it expanding into? Shouldn't that be more space?" Rin sounded annoyed.

"Matsu doesn't understand it either. The balloon analogy seems to make sense…"

"Well, do they have an email address? Maybe we can ask them."

Matsu laughed. "See, computers are good for something! Matsu doesn't see one here, but there might be some articles on a database Matsu can get into—"

Expanding universes? Balloons? What in the world were they talking about? I knocked on the door. "It's me."

"Come in, Shirou-tan!"

I opened the door to find the pair sitting there, Matsu in front of her computer, Rin with a notebook in her hands. I nearly laughed at that. Matsu was very firm about keeping a paper-free office, but it seemed Rin had managed to break that rule as well. "Are you coming down for breakfast?"

"Breakfast?" Blinking in confusion, Rin turned to Matsu. "What time is it?"

"Ah — about eight, Rin-tan." Matsu blushed a bit. "It looks like it's morning."

"You two were up all night?" I asked, only now noticing that Rin was wearing the same clothes she'd had on yesterday. "What were you doing?"

"Just… talking," Matsu said sheepishly.

"Talking," I repeated, feeling a little dumbfounded. "About what?"

"Well, we started with parallel dimensions, but then Matsu showed me some interesting articles about this thing called string theory, and we wandered off from there."

I sighed, a smile working its way across my face. I was used to this sort of thing from Rin, who could — and would — stay in the library for hours without food or sleep if she found a series of references she found interesting. It was new behavior for Matsu, however. "Well, breakfast is ready. Why don't you come eat?"

"I need to brush my teeth and change first," Rin said. "I'll be down in a few minutes." She quickly left the room, heading down the hall.

"I'm sorry she kept you up all night," I apologized to Matsu. Rin could be terribly relentless when it came to gathering knowledge, plowing on regardless of any objections.

The Sekirei smiled brightly. "Matsu doesn't mind, Shirou-tan. Matsu didn't want Rin-tan thinking about Kazehana-tan being with Shirou-tan, so she thought it'd be better for Rin-tan to work with Matsu. But it was a lot of fun for Matsu too!"

I blinked. I hadn't considered that Matsu would've found a way to deliberately distract Rin from what had been going on in my room. "So you had fun?"

"Yes, Rin-tan is a lot of fun!" Matsu said excitedly.

"How?" I asked, curious.

"Well…" Matsu looked away, embarrassed. "Rin-tan likes to learn things just because she thinks they're interesting. It's not like Shirou-tan, who has Matsu find out things because we need them for the Sekirei Plan or to help him with his magecraft, though Rin-tan likes that too. It's just… Matsu has never really known anyone else who likes learning because it's _fun_."

I stared at Matsu for a long moment, and she flushed a bit more, lowering her eyes. I hadn't thought of it that way before. I knew brain type Sekirei were incredibly rare; right now Matsu was the only one still active in the Plan. I also knew Rin often became frustrated with me because I couldn't understand her drive to learn just for learning's sake. I was practical. I focused on gaining new skills or knowledge so I could put them to work in my life, a policy that was reflected heavily in my magecraft. Rin had met other people with a mindset more like hers at the Clock Tower, which had been one of the reasons I hadn't wanted to drag her away when I'd left.

Had Matsu never had someone else to share that with before? Even after the other brain types were adjusted, she more likely than not hadn't encountered them. She was the second Sekirei to be awoken. She'd probably left MBI before any of the others had been released from the labs.

"Rin always says I don't have enough natural curiosity," I said slowly, pondering the idea of a friendship between her and Matsu.

"That's it exactly!" Matsu agreed, then paused, apparently aware that she'd just criticized the person she was supposed to love the most. "Perhaps Shirou-tan just has curiosity about different things?" she offered.

"It's fine, Matsu. I'm used to it from Rin." 'Idiot' was practically a term of affection from her. "I'm just glad the two of you are getting along."

"Matsu likes Rin-tan a lot," the Sekirei assured me, and smiled mischievously. "Maybe if she'd met Rin-tan before Shirou-tan, Matsu would've had Rin-tan for an Ashikabi!"

The statement surprised me, but I couldn't help a smile. If Rin and Matsu had teamed up at the beginning of the Sekirei Plan, they probably would have hidden out in Rin's workshop and gotten so involved in magecraft research that they would've lost track of the Plan completely. "Well, I'm glad you're here, Matsu," I told her. "I don't know how I'd do this without you."

"Matsu is happy to help Shirou-tan."

I paused for a moment, thinking about it. Matsu really had been doing a lot to help with this whole situation. She'd made an effort to help Rin last night, and when we'd had our meeting on Thursday, she'd been the most convincing member of the group to support Rin and Saber staying. I knew she was working on a digital workshop for Rin as well. "I'm glad. Really. I think this would be a lot rougher without your help."

"Matsu knows, Shirou-tan." The Sekirei smiled at me. "Has Matsu maybe earned a reward?"

"If it's something I can do," I promised quickly.

She pinked a little. "Matsu is thinking about putting herself back on the whiteboard."

"Friday's yours," I reminded her. "You can do whatever you want with it."

Matsu cackled. "Shirou-tan should be careful about giving blanket permission like that. He might give Matsu all sorts of ideas. But if Friday is Matsu's… maybe she can get a reward now?" She leaned up and pressed her lips lightly to mine. I reached out, settling one arm around her waist, deepening the kiss, gently sucking on her lower lip. Matsu moaned, pressing closer, her breasts soft against my chest. A moment later we broke apart, a grin on Matsu's face. "Mmm, Shirou-tan is a good kisser." She grabbed my hand. "But now it's time to go to breakfast!"

I let Matsu drag me downstairs, wearing a smile of my own. It looked like today was going to be a good day.

* * *

I ended up missing my Sekirei's practice session so I could attend a few repair appointments. I'd urged Akitsu to stay and work with the others, but she had refused. I didn't know how to feel about that. On the one hand, Saber was right that the Sekirei needed to learn how to deal with magi and worse. On the other hand, Akitsu was probably one of the best prepared for the eventual dangers I would face, as her actions in the past had shown. That being said, though, I wanted her to get to practice the others. If this kept being a problem, I'd have to rotate who came with me.

As I returned to Izumo House, I ran into Rin just outside. I raised my eyebrows at the outfit she was wearing. "That's awfully formal."

Rin shrugged. "I was at work."

I glanced over the suit. What was she doing that she needed to dress like that? "Doing what?"

"It's not important," she said dismissively.

"Hmm, I don't know about that," I teased. "I mean, I'm not sure how I'd feel if I found out my girlfriend was working as a hostess—"

She glared. "Even if it weren't way too early in the day for it, I'd never take a job like that!"

It was my turn to shrug, casual and exaggerated. "Homura used to do it."

"That's different!" She huffed in annoyance, folding her arms and looking away. "Besides, why would I want a job where all I did was sit around getting drunk and schmoozing a bunch of idiots?"

"Good practice for the Clock Tower?" I suggested.

Rin rolled her eyes. "Don't be stupid, Shirou. Schmoozing them while drunk would…" She trailed off, looking over my shoulder.

"What is it?" I asked, turning to look behind me.

"Oniiiiiichaaaaan!" Yukari's voice rang out as she hit my waist with something that was supposed to be a hug but more closely resembled a tackle. Caught off balance, I barely managed to stay upright as she threw all her weight into me. Yukari righted herself a moment later, pouting at me. "Oniichan, how many times do I have to tell you? You're supposed to fall down!"

"Yukari, what are you doing here?" I hadn't seen my sister since Higa had kidnapped her. I looked over her carefully. She seemed to be doing much better — certainly more confident than she'd been the last time I'd seen her.

"It's Saturday!" Yukari said, as if that was answer enough. "Besides, I heard from Mom that Rin and Saber had shown up." She peered at Rin. "Which one is that?"

"Yukari, this is Rin Tohsaka. Rin, this is my sister Yukari." Catching sight of my sister's Sekirei, I added, "This is her Sekirei, number one hundred and seven, Shiina."

"Nice to meet you." Rin bowed her head a bit. "Shirou hasn't told us much about you."

"He didn't tell us much about you either, until we almost dragged it out of him." Yukari folded her arms, studying Rin. "Hey, Oniichan — is Saber bigger? Because she's really small." Yukari gestured in front of her chest to emphasize her point.

"Wh— why you—!" Rin sputtered, going red.

I gave my sister a steely look. "Speaking about Rin or Saber's figures is strictly prohibited." Yukari yelped as the air around me darkened, my mask appearing. "Furthermore—"

"Shirou! You didn't tell me you could do it too!" Rin interrupted, grabbing my shoulder. "That means you already figured it out!"

The touch interrupted my concentration, causing me to lose the manifestation. I turned my attention back to her. "I promised Homura I wouldn't teach anyone else." Rin gave me a look of annoyance. "Look at it this way. You'll probably figure it out in half the time it took me."

"Not if I can't get any observations in," Rin grumbled. "What if _I_ make comments about Saber's figure?"

"You wouldn't do that."

"You're right," she said immediately. We both knew how sensitive Saber was on that topic and wouldn't want to hurt her. "Well, there have to be other Emiya rules I can break, ne?"

"Don't even think about it," Seo groused as he slowly followed Yukari, undoubtedly seeking the free meals I'd promised him. I quickly introduced him and his Sekirei to Rin; while he'd been around once or twice to give me rides since she'd arrived, they hadn't actually crossed paths.

I turned my head to see that Yukari had fished a volume of manga out of her bag and was studying it intensely before she struck a pose, pointing a finger at Rin. "I demand to know your intentions towards my Oniichan!"

"Intentions?" Rin crossed her arms. "Isn't that something you're supposed to ask the guy in the relationship?"

"I don't care!" Yukari punched the air. "You better never hurt my Oniichan or betray him or cheat on him or—"

"I think I get the idea," Rin said dryly. "I have no intention of hurting Shirou in any way. We've been together for three years." She turned her head, a bit of a blush on her cheeks. "And I intend to keep him a lot longer."

"Oh. Good." Yukari seemed to lose steam, dropping her arm. She flashed me a smile. "Right! So, what's Oniichan like in bed?"

"Yukari!" I yelped as Rin sputtered again.

"Well, you won't show me, Oniichan, so how am I supposed to know?" Yukari asked, one hand on her hip, tapping the volume of manga against her leg.

"You aren't supposed to know at all," I grumbled.

"…Shirou, your sister is insane," Rin muttered, just quiet enough that I could hear her.

No kidding, but I wasn't going to acknowledge that with her right here. "Let's go inside," I said instead, urging everyone towards the door.

Once inside I headed towards the back of the house, Yukari following me with a spring in her step. I stopped on the porch. "Saber? I'd like you to meet Yukari and Seo, and their Sekirei, Shiina, Hikari, and Hibiki."

Saber paused, turning from Kuu, who was eagerly working with her practice sword, to face us. "It is a pleasure to meet you — Shirou's sister especially."

For a moment, Yukari just stared at Saber, her mouth open in shock. I wondered what exactly it was that had surprised her. There were a lot of surprises about Saber, but I had a theory that most Ashikabi were at least a little bit psychic, based on my conversations with Matsu. If that was the case, it was quite possible she was sensing some of Saber's aura.

"Mistress?"

Shiina's voice knocked Yukari out of her daze. She snapped her mouth shut and struck a pose, pointing dramatically at Saber. "I demand to know your intentions towards my Oniichan!"

"Intentions?" Saber asked.

"Yes! What are you going to do with him? Are you serious about him?" Yukari asked, waving her arm in a manner that was probably supposed to be threatening, but just looked silly.

"No yelling at Sa-neechan!" Kuu ran over to Saber's side, standing between her and Yukari, brandishing her practice sword at my sister.

"Kusano, you should never point your sword at someone you do not intend to strike," Saber scolded.

Kuu just growled low in her throat. I had the distinct feeling that she _did_ fully intend to attack Yukari if she kept this up. While Kuu had taken to her the moment they met, once Saber had gotten her a practice sword, she'd become utterly convinced that her idol could do no wrong.

Saber carefully forced Kuu to the side before addressing my sister. "I will fight by Shirou's side, for however long I may. I will be his partner in battle and, if he will have me, in life as well." Her voice was calm despite the delicate blush that crossed her face.

Yukari's hand dropped, and she stared at Saber again for a long moment, before smiling broadly. "That's so _romantic_!"

"Ah…" Saber blinked, not having expected that reaction.

"I want to hear all about it! How you and Oniichan fell in love, your time in London, what it's like to have sex with two people at the same time—" Yukari babbled, rocking back and forth on her feet.

"Yukari," I said evenly, and the temperature dropped as the shadows deepened around me. Rin leaned forward eagerly as my sister started trembling. "Talking about lewd things in front of Kuu—"

"—is prohibited, I get it, okay, just _please_ stop, Oniichan!" she begged. I nodded shortly and released the manifestation, earning a disappointed sigh from Rin.

Shiina, noticeably pale, cleared his throat. "Ah, excuse me." He turned his attention to Saber before continuing, sounding hesitant but determined at the same time. "Saber-san, why is Kusano using a sword?"

"She is practicing. Kusano has expressed a desire to be a swordswoman," Saber replied. "I think that will be enough for today, though. Put your things away."

"Okay, Sa-neechan," Kuu said, sounding a bit disappointed that her lesson was over.

I smiled. She was really enjoying learning to fight, and I couldn't help but feel a bit of kinship with her on that. "Don't worry, we aren't going to let her fight for a long time," I assured Shiina. "Why don't we all go inside? I'll make some tea."

"I still want all the details!" Yukari insisted.

"Anyway, inside, everyone," I ordered, hoping to change the subject. "I made a fresh batch of cookies before I left for work today."

Saber's and Yukari's eyes lit up. Maybe I could keep them on something relatively innocent while I cooked dinner. Like apartment shopping in London. Or the water park in Fuyuki.

As I ushered the group inside, I remembered what Yukari had said before she'd left Izumo House in the first place. I could only hope she didn't mention it, because if my sister found out I really _had_ been brainwashed I'd never heard the end of it.

* * *

Kazehana quietly left the dining room, heading upstairs. Yukari's visit had been a surprise, but a good one. She was always fun to tease, and she was predictable. After all the changes in their routine, it had been nice to have their usual Saturday crew come back. It had been the first time since Yukari's kidnapping, and it had brought back a sense of normalcy.

Even with Rin and Saber there.

Kazehana frowned slightly. She'd been raised hearing about what an Ashikabi would be: their fated one, the one who would love them more than anything else. She had thought she'd found it in Minaka. His rejection had hurt more than anything else she'd experienced, and she'd had to get away. So it was that for a long time, she'd just wandered, often ending up in bars, commiserating with others who had broken hearts.

And there were so _many_.

Those whose relationships just hadn't worked out, those who had been cheated on, those who had been separated by death, those who had lost their lover to work, who had watched the passion slowly die after years together…

She had drunk with them and listened to their stories, had heard a hundred ways humans fell out of love and lost love, and had wished with all her heart that they could all have a Sekirei. That her sisters and brothers numbered not just over a hundred, but in the millions, billions. That being an Ashikabi wasn't a rare gift, but one all of humanity could share. That no one would ever have to feel heartbreak, because being an Ashikabi, having a Sekirei, that was _fate_. That was the truest, purest love that could exist between two individuals. And if she could have, she would've given it to every person on Earth.

Kazehana hadn't wanted another Ashikabi except for Minaka. She had hoped that maybe one day he would call for her, ask her to come to his side, and that was why she'd come back to Shin Tokyo time after time. She had watched Minaka throw himself at Takami only to be rebuffed over and over again, and she had grown frustrated. He could've had so much more — she would've been willing to give him so much more.

When the Sekirei Plan had started, she really hadn't cared. If Minaka wouldn't be her Ashikabi, she'd decided, she didn't want one. But then she had met Shirou, who'd had his heart broken by loss, who was so similar to all those poor lonely people she'd met over the years. At first they'd just been drinking buddies, but as she'd gotten to see more of him — his strength, his kindness, his courage — she'd found herself unable to hold back anymore.

Being winged had been something else. Kazehana had never felt so complete in her life. She'd wanted more than anything to share her love with Shirou. She knew she was desirable; appreciative eyes followed her everywhere she went. She had tempted him a few times, but only last night had she finally had the chance to consummate their marriage.

It was everything she could have asked for. He had been passionate but gentle, had wanted her to be as satisfied as he was. There was nothing more a woman could ask for, but there was one problem.

Kazehana had seen appreciation, lust, and pleasure in Shirou's eyes, but she hadn't seen love. That, it seemed, was reserved for when he looked at Saber and Rin. She wondered if he realized how different he was with them. They traded glances, soft smiles, and gentle touches when they thought no one was watching them. Shirou regularly asked for their opinions, from dinner choices to plans for the Jinki. It was discomfiting. Rin and Saber had just forced their way into their lives, and Shirou had allowed it. In fact, he'd agreed with many of the changes they made.

Kazehana knew herself well enough to know that jealousy was part of the reason she resented Rin and Saber. It was hard, almost painful, to watch her Ashikabi, her _destined one_, love another. She'd been so sure, after all the hours she had watched and listened to the heartbroken, that no human could offer the love that a Sekirei could. That to choose a human over a Sekirei would mean nothing but eventual pain and heartbreak.

But Shirou had. He had chosen two human women, who, despite everything, seemed determined to hold onto him.

Kazehana had seen a lot of types of love in her time: the innocent first love between young humans, the drunken love between acquaintances at bars, the epic love in romance movies. For a long time she had believed, after hours of watching humans drink away heartbreak, that True Love, the kind stories were told about, only existed between a Sekirei and their Ashikabi. That humans wrote stories about a love they dreamed about but could never have.

And yet… and yet the more she watched Rin, Saber, and Shirou together, the more she began to believe — and fear — that what they had was just that.

"Deep thoughts?"

Kazehana turned to see Matsu in the doorway of her room, one hand against the frame. She hesitated for a moment, but… if there was someone she could confide in, Matsu would be the best choice. "Our Ashikabi doesn't love us," she said with a sigh.

"Matsu knows," the hacker said, no sign of surprise on her face. "Shirou-tan cares about us, wants to protect us — even desires us." She smiled sadly. "But he doesn't love us. Not yet."

"And you're okay with it?" Kazehana asked, raising an eyebrow.

Matsu stepped inside her room and beckoned Kazehana to follow her with a wave of her hand. Once she was inside, the hacker shut the door and took a seat before reaching up and deliberately removing her glasses. Kazehana watched her carefully place them on a nearby table. She'd often wondered if Matsu really needed the glasses, though she'd had them even back when they were on the Disciplinary Squad together. Matsu seemed to use them as a device to hide what she was feeling, though recently she'd seen much more of the more serious side of Matsu that she remembered from their earlier days.

It was quite clear Kazehana was dealing with that side right now.

"I've seen how Shirou-san looks at them — how he relies on them. I wouldn't want an Ashikabi who would throw something like that away," Matsu said. Kazehana reluctantly nodded. If Shirou did it with Rin or Saber, what was to stop him from doing the same to them? "I plan to do everything I can to make him — them — want to keep me around. If we don't push them away, we can prove to Rin and Saber that we're more valuable by Shirou-san's side."

"I thought you liked Rin," Kazehana commented. Every time she had seen the two of them together they had been chatting over some theory or another, often bent over paper or Matsu's tablet.

"I do like Rin. Frankly, it's a lot of fun having someone to debate with — but I'm not a fool." Matsu tapped a finger against her desk. "You know I was the first one awake after Miya, who was already an adult and needed minimal adjustments. I was the first Sekirei to go through the adjustment process completely.

"I'm not sure, though, that you realize how _expensive _bioengineering is. Back then MBI was a young company, barely making its way in the world. Takehito had to go slowly and take his time, and my adjustments nearly bankrupted them. Minaka wasn't terribly concerned; he thought that the medical discoveries they made while altering us, combined with the technology from our ship, would pay for it. Others weren't so certain." Matsu smiled thinly. "The groups that attacked us — those we drove off — they didn't start by attacking. They started by offering astronomical sums for samples. Just one piece. I overheard what was going on and became determined that I would _not_ be that piece.

"So I showed them what I could do, how I could help them — how I could find new equipment for them, monitor their competitors, uncover trade secrets, help them access and understand Sekirei technology. I had to learn quickly, but I made sure I wasn't going to be thrown away."

Kazehana stared at Matsu in shock. "I never knew."

"I was the only one who did, as far as I can tell." Matsu shrugged. "In any case, by the time you, Karasuba, and Mutsu were finished, those competitors had moved past bribery and on to force." Her lips quirked. "Takami was the one who predicted they'd switch to more violent tactics; she suggested running the adjustments for all three of you at the same time so we'd have a defense force. I think she's more like her son than she'd admit."

"Maybe she is." Kazehana had mixed feelings about Takami, though it had become much easier to think of her once Shirou had winged her. Minaka just hadn't been as important anymore. "So, you'll be useful to Shirou, then," she finally said after a few moments of silence.

Matsu nodded. "And I'm smart enough to recognize the influence Rin's and Saber's opinions have on him. I intend to be valuable enough that they'll want to keep me around, and give Shirou-san the time he needs to come to love me the way he does them."

"And if he never does?" Kazehana asked, because she'd seen it happen before, had been there herself. She could remember every day that Minaka had stared after Takami, never noticing her own feelings, could remember the feeling of being rejected when she'd finally made her move.

"I'm sure he will," Matsu said decisively. "It's been even easier to see since Rin and Saber came, but Shirou-san really does have a big heart. I'm glad we've been getting to know him better. It's nice." She smiled, a bit wishful. "He is our Ashikabi, after all. I do believe he'll love us someday, but even if he never did… Well, Uzume used to say it was enough for her to know she was living under the same sky as her Ashikabi. I think being by Shirou-san's side, helping him in every way I could — I could make that enough for me."

Kazehana shook her head. "I don't know how that could be enough."

"Would you rather he pushed us away and went out doing stupid, dangerous things on his own?"

"Of course not!"

"Then do what Saber suggested. Be his fighting companion. You, Homura, Akitsu — you're all strong enough, fast enough, and smart enough to keep him safe." Matsu reached for her glasses, fiddling with the frame. "Besides, from what I've been able to figure out, Saber and Rin were Shirou-san's battle partners before they became lovers. Fighting by his side might be the best way to help him come to love us."

"Maybe," Kazehana agreed. The last few days they'd gotten many glimpses into the three's relationship. Rin guarded their history jealously, but was willing to share bits of Shirou's background when asked. Saber was slightly more open, though mostly with past battles they'd been involved in. One thing was absolutely clear, though: they were a team. They had a closeness that Shirou lacked with his Sekirei, something that went beyond psychic bonds.

Kazehana wanted that closeness.

"Good." Matsu slipped back on her glasses. "But Matsu suggests Kazehana-tan go and get ready for bed. After all, it is Kazehana-tan's night!"

"It is indeed." Kazehana smiled to herself. Thanks to Matsu's generosity, she'd get to enjoy time alone with Shirou two nights in a row, something she was quite grateful for. She rose from her seat and headed out the door. "Matsu?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"Any time, Kazehana-tan."

* * *

How much could change in just seven days?

It was Monday night, one week since Rin and Saber reappeared in my life. That evening had been marked with stress and discord. Tonight…

"There's a restaurant a few blocks from here that's really good," Kazehana confided to Saber. "I first visited it a few years ago. I spent a lot of time touring Japan during that time, sampling the food."

"Truly?" Saber asked, looking interested. "It sounds as if it would be an interesting venture, if costly."

"Yeah, but I was using the company's money to pay for it!" Kazehana grinned. "Before the Sekirei Plan started, MBI cards were really handy. It's a pity Lover-kun doesn't want us to use them, otherwise we could all go out to eat!"

The two continued to discuss various restaurants in the city. Kazehana had been making an effort to open up to Saber, though things remained somewhat strained between her and Rin. She'd asked Saber a lot of questions today, mostly about me, but also about fighting. She was taking her new position as my second-in-command very seriously. I had attended the Sekirei training session today and was amazed at how much progress they'd made after only two days. Kazehana definitely had a natural talent for command. They might be ready for battle sooner than I'd thought.

"Fuu-neechan, Sa-neechan, play with Kuu!" my youngest Sekirei demanded, carrying several of her stuffed animals in her arms. She shoved one into Kazehana's hands before doing the same to Saber, who stared at the toy in bemusement.

Kuu seemed determined to keep the peace within Izumo House. Her plan seemed to mostly consist of everyone becoming friends by playing with her stuffed cats. If she managed to pull it off, I was going to buy her a mountain of toys, regardless of Saber's opinion on bribing her.

I fought a smile as I looked at Saber, still looking at the plush in her hand with confusion. Akitsu moved from her position beside me, took the stuffed dog Kuu had brought for her, and joined the group, demonstrating what was expected. Saber watched for a minute or two before tentatively joining in, Kuu ordering Saber's cat here or there in the drama they were acting out.

Rin and Saber's arrival hadn't changed Akitsu's life much, though she was even more vigilant about remaining at my side. The biggest change was her daily visits to Matsu to report her observations of my behavior. It was a little unnerving, but I tried to ignore it.

"Here I come, Landlady-san!" Musubi's voice echoed through the open door to the porch. I turned my head a bit to catch a glance of her launching herself at Miya in the yard. Like Akitsu, Musubi hadn't changed much in the last week. The only noticeable thing was she'd become even more dedicated to her training, not only working with Miya but also begging for tips from Saber as well. I had no doubt that Saber would soon be working with Musubi on a regular basis.

As for the rest of my flock…

My eyes flickered over to the kitchen, where Rin, Homura, and Tsukiumi were working. Homura, like Kazehana, had embraced the idea of fighting by my side. She spent more time with Saber than any of my other Sekirei, asking questions about both combat and magecraft. She was determined to be ready the next time I was attacked. Her earlier wariness of Rin had vanished; occasionally, however, she gave the magus a complicated look I couldn't quite decipher, though it seemed oddly hopeful.

Tsukiumi was probably the biggest surprise in the group. She had asked Rin for cooking lessons.

I'd immediately offered to teach her myself, of course. I knew that Sakura had enjoyed learning from me, and to be honest, I thought I made a good teacher. Another set of hands helping with meals would've been welcome. Right now Miya, Rin, and I were the only ones regularly cooking, so if we had another cook, we could all work in pairs. Tsukiumi had outright refused my offer, however, stuttering the entire time. Rin had just laughed and told me she'd take care of it.

The pair seemed to be getting along well right now, Tsukiumi paying close attention to Rin's demonstration of how to cut vegetables for stir fry. For a while I'd worried that Tsukiumi wouldn't be able to accept Rin and Saber, but it looked like I'd been wrong.

Rin and Saber, for their part, were both much more relaxed than they had a week ago. Rin seemed to be content with her job, whatever it was — she _still_ hadn't told me — and was spending more time with most of my Sekirei, interested in figuring out the extent of their abilities and how they worked — and they were happy to demonstrate. And besides her dedication to training my flock in combat, Saber seemed to be developing a close friendship with Miya. I'd found them sitting on the porch together amicably drinking tea early Sunday morning when I'd come down to make breakfast.

"Shirou-tan is supposed to be meditating!" Matsu walked over to me, handing me my phone and a pair of headphones. "Matsu made a playlist of relaxing music. It should help Shirou-tan concentrate."

Matsu was taking the information she'd learned from Rin and Saber about what Odell had done to me seriously. She made sure that I meditated daily, and I knew she was researching anti-brainwashing techniques. None of us were sure that they'd help with what Odell had done, since she'd used magecraft, but Matsu kept on anyway.

At least Matsu seemed to be completely okay with Rin and Saber. Actually, given what I'd seen on Saturday, she and Rin were well on their way to becoming good friends.

The hacker showed me how to access the music she'd loaded on my phone before being dragged into playing with Kuu's stuffed toys. Watching the group of women humor my youngest Sekirei, a wave of contentment swept over me. I'd wanted to leave Shin Tokyo as soon as possible, but maybe it was more important to let everyone adjust to Rin and Saber in familiar surroundings than to worry about MBI's next move. Moments like this made me think that maybe my dream of having everyone I cared for in my life wasn't impossible after all.

A shrill sound cut through the music I'd just turned on, making me wince. I fumbled for my phone, looking at the screen.

Minaka's face grinned up at me. "Everyone! It is time for the fourth match to begin!"

"Turn on the TV!" I ordered, even as I scrambled to do it.

Kuu and her playmates all looked up in surprise. "What is it?" Kazehana asked.

"Minaka," I said tersely, taking the headphones off. "It's the fourth match."

Kuu immediately ran outside, fetching Miya and Musubi. The trio in the kitchen stopped their work to turn their attention towards the dining room and the television I'd just turned on.

"Our fourth match is going to be like nothing you've ever seen before," Minaka declared, gesturing grandly. "First, I shall introduce the contestants!"

"Shirou-tan, should we be getting ready to leave?" Matsu asked, tense.

I hesitated. It had been my plan to leave during the fourth match, taking the Jinki we had and running, but—

"Today we have five pairs! Each Ashikabi was allowed to bring only one Sekirei, if they'd been lucky enough to wing more than one." Pictures of the participants appeared onscreen one by one. "Reiji Koya and Yahan, number fifty-seven. Hayato Mikogami and Mutsu, number five. Yashiro Itsuki and Amebane, number thirteen. Oosumi Orihiko and Kaho, number eighty-seven. Yukari Sahashi and Shiina, number one hundred and seven!"

My sister was in the fourth match. I swallowed hard. She was up against some difficult opponents, too. Orihiko was the third possible candidate to take over as the Ashikabi of the East, after Seo and Yukari herself. Mikogami was still the Ashikabi of the South, and he had a single digit with him. I couldn't remember Yahan or Amebane off the top of my head.

"It's Kaho!" Musubi exclaimed as she caught sight of the TV.

"You know her?" I asked.

"Yes!" She hurried over to sit where she could see. "We have a promise to fight next time we meet." Musubi bounced in her seat. "We both promised Yume-san that we'd be winged by someone we loved, and then we'll fight and fight and fight until the end, when one of us will win and free all the Sekirei who've lost their wings!"

I looked at Musubi in surprise. She had mentioned her wish to free the other Sekirei before, but this was the first time I'd heard that that included those who had already lost. I made a note to talk to her about it when I got a chance.

"Now, the fourth match will take place in this special MBI facility!" A new image replaced the portraits of Ashikabi and Sekirei on the screen, showing a figure with concentric circles. "There are two levels. In the outer ring, contestants will have to solve puzzles and riddles to gain playing pieces. There are nine challenges in total, but you can only attempt each once. Sekirei are not allowed to fight in the outer level until all of the puzzles have been solved. Once that has happened, pairs can attack one another to collect pieces."

"So this is Minaka," Saber mused, studying him carefully.

"The one in charge of the Sekirei Plan," Homura confirmed, glaring at him.

"You need three pieces to open one of the doors." Three sections of the second circle began glowing blue. "Once you manage that, the first to get to the Jinki wins!" Minaka reappeared. "Sekirei may fight Sekirei at any time once all nine of the puzzles are solved or once they get to the inner ring."

"This seems a lot more complicated than the other matches," Kazehana mused. Homura nodded and fished out her phone, fiddling with it.

"But it would be far too boring if it took a long time to solve all the puzzles so the Sekirei can fight and fight!" Minaka vanished again, replaced with the images of the five Ashikabi. Instead of their Sekirei, however, a phone number was displayed with each. "MBI has provided each Ashikabi a phone specifically for this match. Those of you watching can call in to help — or hinder! — each of them, but they'll only work in the outer ring."

"He's turning this into a _game show_." Matsu stared at the screen in shock.

I was too busy dialing the number under my sister's picture to comment, relieved when I managed to get through. "Yukari?"

"Oniichan!"

"No matter what, don't hang up on me. Keep this line open," I ordered, and glanced at Matsu. "Can you get your tablet?" She nodded and quickly left the room.

"Okay, Oniichan." My sister didn't sound concerned in the least. If anything, she sounded chipper. "I'm going to get the Jinki, just you watch!"

"I'm sure you will." I closed my eyes, forcing down my emotions with a will. Worrying about Yukari wouldn't help her win. I had to stay clear-headed.

"We'll be moving between Sekirei as they attempt to clear the challenges. Let us see who will be the first to get to the Jinki!"

"I don't think this could be more different from the match you were in," Rin said, frowning thoughtfully. "I wonder what kind of puzzles they'll be doing."

"No matter which kind they are, we'll all be ready to help Yukari-san!" Musubi said, pumping a fist in the air. Besides her, Kuu did the same.

"This is indeed most unexpected," Miya commented. "I take it, Emiya-san, that you are going to remain for a bit longer, then?" I nodded. I couldn't leave my sister behind while she was involved in this insanity.

Homura checked her phone. "Takami says she'd been trying to convince Minaka to do something different after what happened during the third match." Everyone in the room looked at me for a moment. "Something that required some brains. Minaka apparently decided to allow observers to contribute on his own."

"Probably trying to drum up interest," I mused. From what I'd seen on the forums, there were a number of Ashikabi who were regretting getting involved in the Sekirei Plan. While MBI could — and probably would — detain and trap those who tried to get out of it, it'd be easier if they could focus their efforts on the matches themselves.

"What, Oniichan?"

I'd forgotten I was on the phone. "Where are you, Yukari? You're not on the TV yet."

"We're almost at the closest challenge!" Yukari said. As if to mirror her words, the image on our screen changed from Yashiro and Amebane to show us Yukari and Shiina, approaching a table with a figure on it of a winged woman who was a lion from the waist down.

"A sphinx," Rin observed.

"Human," Homura groaned. "Don't tell me he picked all easy riddles like that."

"You didn't even hear the question," Miya chided.

"That's always the answer for a sphinx's riddle."

As Yukari approached the statue, it began to speak. "What walks on four legs in the morning, two at midday and three at sunset?"

I glanced at Homura. He nodded. "Crawling when you're a baby, walking when you're an adult, and using a cane when you're older. It's one of the oldest riddles."

I passed the answer on to Yukari, who gleefully grabbed the wing that fell off, apparently the puzzle piece. She took off, and the TV switched to Orihiko and Kaho.

"Matsu, do you have the profiles handy?" I asked, and she nodded. "Check on Yahan and Amebane."

"Right, Shirou-tan."

Yukari's voice broke me out of my thoughts. She sounded a little breathless — she must have run to it. "We're at the second puzzle. We have to pick out which cup has the puzzle piece."

I glanced at the TV, which was still showing Orihiko and Kaho, engaged in some sort of kanji puzzle. Then the screen split in half, showing Yukari and Shiina on the left. The table in front of them held six cups, each a different color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

Yukari walked over to the table. "There's a poem, and we need to figure out which one is the right one."

"Read it to us."

"Put her on speaker, Lover-kun," Kazehana suggested. I gave her my phone, and she did something with it. Akitsu reached over and turned down the volume on the TV so we could hear better.

"_'The one that you seek always has friends, neither the one at the beginning, nor the one at the end. Seen more in the warmth than in the cold, becomes brown and withered when grown old. If you're not looking down, it's most likely held up by brown.'_"

"That is _horrible_ poetry," Tsukiumi declared, looking revolted.

I blinked at her. "You like poetry?"

"S-so what if I do?" Tsukiumi crossed her arms.

"It's fine, I just didn't know," I hastened to assure her.

"Not the first or the last one," Rin mused aloud.

"Yes, but the rest isn't making a lot of sense." Matsu frowned.

"Green!" Musubi shouted suddenly. "It's green, Yukari-san!"

"Okay!" Yukari said. She smacked the button in front of the green cup. "Got it! I'm on to the next one. This will be the last one I need!"

"How did you know?" Rin asked Musubi.

"Takami-san used to get green flowers sometimes! It's her favorite color," Musubi explained.

So it had just been a lucky guess, then… though I had to wonder who was sending my mother flowers. "How do you get green flowers?" I wondered aloud, though nobody answered.

"But what did the rest of the poem mean?" Kazehana asked.

"Grass!" Kuu said, excited. "Grass goes brown in the cold."

"And leaves fall from trees — oh, the brown holding up the leaves." Kazehana sighed. "Leaves on trees."

"That was a stupid riddle," Rin grumbled. "I think it'd be better if he stuck to classics."

"Kuu liked it." My littlest Sekirei sulked.

"Shirou-tan wanted the profiles, didn't he?" Matsu put in, and I nodded. "Amebane is a hand-to-hand fighter. MBI indicates that he's one of the top ten Sekirei in strength, and one of the top twenty in speed." Matsu grimaced. "His relationship with his Ashikabi is… complicated."

"Abusive?" I asked.

"Not on the Ashikabi's side," Matsu said reluctantly.

Everyone stared at her. "Something must have gone wrong in his adjustments," Miya murmured, sounding shocked.

"As for Yahan—" Matsu began.

My phone made a strange noise, and then the line went dead. We turned our attention back to the TV, which showed Yahan, a dark-skinned Sekirei wearing a black cape and sarong, standing a short distance away from Shiina and Yukari. Before my eyes she vanished, only to reappear behind Yukari, a knife going for her back.

"Mistress!" Shiina yelled, spotting the threat. Yukari dodged right, allowing Shiina to launch an attack of his own at Yahan. She evaded it and vanished again.

"Yahan has power over shadows and can use it to perform stealth attacks," Matsu finished, her eyes glued to the screen.

"If Shiina can't hit her—" Homura's eyes widened slowly.

"Shii-niichan!" Kuu cried, and climbed into Saber's lap, clinging to her as she watched nervously.

My hand clenched helplessly around my phone. "Get out of there, Yukari."

* * *

Yukari ran down the hall, glancing side to side as they left their second challenge behind. The tables were well lit, but the places in between them weren't. It was eerie, running in the dim light. Also ridiculous. Yukari knew what type of money MBI had. There was no reason for this stupid lighting, unless Minaka was trying to be dramatic.

She never had been able to understand what her mother had seen in the guy.

She wasn't quite sure what it was that got her attention, but something made her turn, a strange shiver running up her spine. Her eyes widened as a woman appeared behind Shiina, knife in hand. She thrust, heading for the crest on his back. Yukari didn't even think, throwing the phone in her hand as hard as she could. "Shiina!"

The woman vanished before the phone could connect, letting it hit the wall with a crunch that didn't bode well for its continued functioning. Shiina's eyes widened in surprise as Yukari ran up to him and grabbed his hand. They looked around warily, and Yukari's eyes widened as she caught sight of the woman reappearing out of the darkness, her eyes on the pair. She blinked, recognizing her: Yahan, one of the other Sekirei in the match. The woman faded once again into the shadows lining the hall, and Yukari went tense, trying to listen for her next attack. It looked like she had some sort of teleportation power, which probably meant she'd be trying to confuse them—

"Mistress!"

Shiina's warning was all she needed. They'd fought together enough that she knew exactly what to do. She threw herself to the side, allowing Shiina to launch his power at where she'd just been standing, but Yahan only vanished again. Yukari moved closer to Shiina again, standing back to back with him. This was bad. The corridors for the outer ring were fairly narrow. Could Shiina use his stronger attacks? They might make a wall or the ceiling come down — that had happened once or twice before while they were patrolling, but they'd always been outside, where such a collapse wouldn't matter…

"What's going on here? Is someone not playing by the rules?"

Yukari turned her head to see Hayato Mikogami and Mutsu approaching them from behind. Mikogami had his phone in hand, pointing at the screen. "There are still three more tasks to complete, and no one is supposed to fight until that happens. I do so hate it when people don't play by the rules." The Ashikabi's gaze settled off to the side. Yukari frowned and followed it, squinting a bit. She could just make out Yahan, standing deep in the shadows.

"We were just heading to the next table," Shiina said, trying to keep a wary eye on both Mutsu and Yahan.

"You're doing really well!" Mikogami said approvingly. "Why don't you just go on ahead? If someone doesn't want to play by the rules, we'll take care of it. There's no point in playing a game if all you're going to do is hack the system." Beside him, Mutsu sighed a bit, looking towards Yahan as he loosened his sword in its scabbard.

It could've been a trap, but Yukari wasn't going to let such an opportunity pass. "Thanks, we will!" she said quickly, and grabbed Shiina's hand and ran, heading back around the circle. They only needed one more piece to get to the inner ring. Hopefully Mikogami was telling the truth.

The sound of their footsteps echoed down the hallway as they finally arrived at the next table.

"Okay, let's see here." She quickly read the instructions taped to the table. "Get the ball out of the flask without turning it over or breaking the flask — Sekirei can't use their powers. The ball is the key you need from this puzzle." Yukari tried to pick up the small glass bottle, but it was fastened to the table. She dropped to her knees to look at better. It had a very narrow top, making it impossible to fit a finger inside, much less a hand. It looked like something right out of one of her science classes.

"Do you have any ideas, Mistress?" Shiina asked.

"None yet. Let's see what we have to work with." Yukari got back to her feet and looked over the table. There were some styrofoam cups, popsicle sticks, and what looked like a cooler. Yukari picked up a stick and slid it into the neck of the flask. She could move the ball around, but there was no way to pick it up. "Shiina, what's in the cooler?"

Shiina opened it. "Looks like bottles of water."

"Bottles of water?" Yukari stared at the flask. That wouldn't help, would it? The ball wouldn't— "That's it! Shiina, give me one." She unscrewed the cap and poured it into the flask, grinning as the ball rose to the top. It must've been hollow or something. She snatched it and grabbed Shiina's hand. "Let's go!"

They ran. Without the phone MBI had given them they didn't have a map, but she figured the nearest door wouldn't be far…

Sure enough, it wasn't long till they arrived at one and handed over the three pieces they had gotten, where an MBI soldier checked off the objects on a clipboard. "All right, you're clear."

Thanking him, they passed through the door into a large room, completely barren except for a set of steps leading up to a platform in the center, where a Jinki sat on a pedestal. They quickly headed towards it.

"At least you're good for something." Yukari turned her head. Amebane and Yashiro Itsuki had also just entered the room from a different door. "Now we can fight properly."

"I want a Jinki!" Yashiro protested. "This is a contest. I'm good at them."

"Shut up, you stupid girl!" Amebane snapped.

"Hey, don't talk to her that way!" Yukari yelled.

"Ohhh. Yukari Sahashi and Shiina, number one hundred and seven." Amebane smiled bloodthirstily. "This'll be fun. Aren't you two the Demon Ashikabi and the Death God Sekirei?"

"Yeah, we are," Yukari said proudly.

"Yukari, get the Jinki," Shiina said, keeping a wary eye on the pair. He stepped in front of Yukari. "That'll end the match."

"Don't be stupid. Why don't we have some fun first?" Amebane threw his cape off, revealing a lean body clearly accustomed to combat. "Let's see what you can do, Death God!" He ran forward, throwing a punch.

Shiina jumped back, dodging the attack that left a crater on the floor. He threw his hand out, releasing his own power, halting Amebane's charge, but the other Sekirei jumped upward, avoiding the attack. Yukari clenched her hand, staring at the pair. Shiina was still weak against martial artists despite the experience they'd gained. His own abilities took too long to recover to consistently defend himself against a series of swift attacks.

Movement to the side drew Yukari's attention. Yashiro was heading up the steps, clearly planning on getting the Jinki. Yukari hesitated for a moment, then sprinted after her, turning her back on the fight.

Her legs flashed as she flew up the stairs, hours of patrolling after dark giving her the strength and endurance to catch up and pass Yashiro, getting her to the podium first. Her hand grasped the Jinki, and Yukari whirled, turning to look back at the combatants behind her. Shiina was still between Amebane and the stairs, but he was limping slightly, his outstretched hand shaking.

"Hey!" Yukari yelled. "The match is over!"

"Like I care about that. I'm having fun!" Amebane snapped. He rushed forward.

"Death Flower!" Shiina shouted, power flashing from his fingers.

Amebane dodged the attack with an ease that made it almost insulting, bringing his right fist up in a punch that smashed into Shiina's temple. A moment later his left hand landed a blow to Shiina's chest, causing a sickening crack that warned of broken ribs. Shiina staggered back, leaving himself open for a follow-up attack that landed with enough force to launch him into the air, sending him crashing into the steps a few feet from Yukari.

Yukari grasped the Jinki tighter, avoiding Yashiro's attempts at grabbing it, feeling helpless. She wished she was like her brother; Shirou had fought Sekirei on his own. If only she had that training she could have helped Shiina, but most Ashikabi were useless in a fight except for…

Her eyes narrowed, and she glared at Yashiro. "Want this? Go get it!" She turned and threw the Jinki as hard as she could, in the opposite direction of the fight.

"My Jinki!" Yashiro wailed, and charged after it, down the stairs on the far side of the podium.

Yukari ignored her, running down the stairs to kneel by Shiina's side. He was struggling to push himself to his feet, but was having trouble breathing.

"Some Death God. More like dead meat." Amebane slowly crossed the floor and began to climb the stairs with an arrogant swagger. Yukari turned her attention back to Shiina, pressing her lips to hers, feeling electricity flash between them. Amebane laughed. "You think his Norito is going to save him? He can't even stand up."

"I believe in him," Yukari said. She rose and stood between Shiina and Amebane, her back straight, shoulders unbowed as she looked at him like she wasn't half as scared of him as she felt. "And you're going to lose!"

"Like you can stop me," Amebane sneered. "You want to see a Norito? I'll show you one. Get over here, girl!"

But Yashiro was on the other side of the room, scooping up the Jinki. Yukari smirked as she felt Shiina's hand take hers, a chant starting softly behind her as he slowly pulled himself up. His arm settled around her waist, holding on tightly.

"Damned useless thing!" Amebane snarled, and jumped forward, fist held high, aiming for Yukari's head. "I'll take you both out myself!"

"Death Wings!" Shiina shouted. Transparent wings, veined and sickly looking, swept out around Yukari to grasp Amebane. "The wings of the angel of death embrace you — and induce eternal slumber!" Shiina hissed, his words tumbling quickly from his mouth. The wings wrapped around Amebane, melting his clothes and his flesh, almost as if he were a toy doll that had been thrust into a fire.

Yukari swallowed hard as she watched Shiina's power fade and Amebane's body fall unmoving to the ground, a grotesque warped thing. Shiina leaned against her, breathing hard. She turned from the scene to look at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be all right." Shiina gave the defeated Sekirei a dark look. "_Never_ threaten my Ashikabi again."

Yukari thought that was a bit redundant, since Amebane clearly couldn't move. In fact, she was pretty sure he was dead. "Let's get out of here." She glanced over at Yashiro, who was staring in shock at Amebane's body, the Jinki held in a weak grip. For a moment Yukari considered going and retrieving her prize, but then decided not to bother. Shiina's health was more important.

The pair crossed the arena and headed out the door, eventually finding the door they had used to enter the outer ring in the first place. "We need to get you to a hospital," Yukari said, one hand around Shiina's shoulders as they walked slowly. He was clearly in pain, favoring one leg while wrapping one arm carefully around his midsection.

"We'll take care of it, Yukari."

"Mom!" Yukari shouted as Takami came forward and led them to a waiting crew of MBI scientists, who promptly swarmed Shiina.

"Here. You left this." Takami passed her the Jinki, and Yukari blinked at it. "Itsuki's out of the Plan since her Sekirei was terminated. You reached it first, so it's yours."

"Thanks." Her hand curled around the prize. She wasn't sure it was worth it, considering the shape Shiina was in.

"And you'll need this. I imagine Shirou's panicking," Takami said dryly as she handed over Yukari's phone.

"Serves him right, after what he pulled during the Third Match," Yukari grumbled.

Takami smiled, a smirk passing over her face. "Indeed. Still, it wouldn't be a bad idea to call him. I've made sure you can stay with Shiina until they release him. If you need my help, just call."

"I will," Yukari promised. She watched her mother walk away, exhaustion hitting her like a hammer as the adrenaline finally gave out.

"Congratulations!" Yukari turned to see Hayato Mikogami walking towards her, his Sekirei at his side.

"Thanks for your help earlier," Yukari said. She hesitated for a moment, then added, "though I'm not quite sure why you did it."

Mikogami waved his hand. "It's clear they're using the matches to weed out the competition. I wouldn't have minded getting another Jinki, but making sure you have good opponents is important too. You played fair, and your Sekirei is clearly skilled. What's the point of getting to the final round if the competition isn't interesting?" He grinned. "I expect soon enough we'll be down to just those who have a Jinki. We'll fight it out for real then."

"I guess so," Yukari said, trying to be nonchalant. Inside she was pushing down panic. As much as she might joke about defeating her brother in battle to force him to return to the side of good, she didn't want to fight Shirou. Not only because she loved him, but because he had already shown he was deadly by himself. She didn't think he'd hurt her…

But she'd never thought he'd threaten to kill all the Sekirei or invade MBI either.

Mikogami nodded to her and then left. Yukari found herself a place to sit where she could still see Shiina and dialed her brother's number.

"Hey, Yukari."

Shirou's warm voice made her smile. "Did you see me, Oniichan?" she asked. Despite her exhaustion, she couldn't keep her pride out of her voice. "I won!"

"I did. Do you want to come over? We'll throw you a party."

Yukari hesitated. On the one hand, she would really enjoy seeing her bother again, and being around Shirou's Sekirei made her feel safe. Not only were there a lot of them, and they were very strong, but Miya's house felt more secure than practically anywhere else she'd been during the Plan. On the other, though, Shiina was clearly not feeling well and probably wouldn't be up to a party. "Tomorrow, maybe? Now that it's all over, I'm a little tired."

"Tomorrow. We'll do a late lunch," Shirou promised. "I'll even make a special dessert. What do you want?"

"Ice cream sandwiches with homemade cookies!" Yukari declared after a moment of thought. She'd loved the desserts Shirou had sent, and ice cream sandwiches were a favorite of hers. "And tempura for lunch, all kinds!"

"No problem," Shirou said. He hesitated a moment, and then added, "I'm proud of you."

Her breath caught in surprise. "Oniichan…" Yukari beamed, cradling her phone. She had missed having a brother for a long time. Now that Shirou was back she wasn't always quite sure what to expect — but it felt wonderful to hear his confidence. "Well, I couldn't let you down, could I?"

"I never expected you to."

Yukari paused, weighing her next question in her mind. On one hand, she doubted her brother would like it. On the other, she really thought that she needed this. "Hey, Oniichan? Can Shiina and I come to your practice? I think it would be good for him to work with Musubi."

"Sure," Shirou said, sounding surprised.

Yukari nodded to herself, glad he hadn't fought her on it. She had heard about the daily practice sessions from Musubi on Saturday, and after today, she fully intended to get in as much training as she could. Not just for Shiina, but for herself as well. Shirou fought beside his Sekirei; she might not be able to use a sword, but she bet her brother could teach her how to be a better partner for Shiina. Yukari glanced at one of the scientists, waving to get her attention. "I have to go for now, but I'll see you tomorrow, Oniichan."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow."

Yukari hung up and headed over to listen to the man explain Shiina's injuries, her mind already planning for tomorrow.

* * *

I stood in the kitchen, various ingredients before me as I worked quickly, preparing for Yukari's party. My mind wasn't on what I was doing, however. It was stuck reviewing the match from yesterday, which had revealed quite a few things about the participants.

I'd known that Mikogami had a preference for games, but had been unaware that he took rules so seriously. It was a good thing to know for dealing with him in the future. He'd managed to beat two puzzles before running into Yukari, but had taken it into his own hands to enforce the rules rather than focus on proceeding. I had to wonder about that. Given how much time MBI spent investigating the Ashikabi, it was quite possible they had predicted that and Mikogami might've been included not as a participant but primarily as a referee.

Orihiko had proven an interesting case. From what I remembered of his file, he was fairly intelligent, but it appeared that most of the puzzles had frustrated him. He and Kaho had only managed to win one of the key pieces. I couldn't blame him, since from what I had seen, a number of the challenges were… well, strange. Thankfully, Mutsu's fight with Yahan had kept him busy long enough that he didn't have time to confront Orihiko before the match was over. I didn't want to think about Musubi having to watch a friend of hers be terminated. Still, seeing Kaho had pushed Musubi's enthusiasm to even higher than it had been before, something I hadn't thought possible.

I was glad that both Amebane and Yahan had been terminated — Amebane mostly because of how he interacted with his Ashikabi, which had caused no small amount of distress among my Sekirei as they'd watched the match. As for Yahan, I'd severely underestimated her potential. She'd managed to keep up with a single digit without using her Norito. It was possible that she'd have won if she hadn't left her Ashikabi elsewhere for his own protection.

Clearly there were some Sekirei who knew how to use stealth to their advantage. I'd had Matsu double check, but all the Sekirei who had any abilities that would lend themselves well to underhanded tactics were already terminated, which was a relief.

The last pair of the match had surprised me more than I thought they would. Shiina had clearly shown his weakness in countering rapid attacks, but Yukari had been the one to make my heart stop, standing between Amebane and his target without a trace of fear. Shiina's Norito had also shocked me. I knew that he and Kuu, the last two Sekirei, hadn't had their adjustments quite finished, and that Shiina's powers of decay were nothing to dismiss. I hadn't, though, expected something like that, pretty much a one-hit kill. It had surprised us all.

Well, all of us except for Miya, who had only smiled, saying that the true power of a Sekirei came from the heart. Shiina cared for my sister; when Yukari was in danger, he was a force that wouldn't easily be stopped.

Thinking about the fourth match in general, I wasn't really sure what Minaka's purpose had been. The outer ring had clearly been more focused on mental ability, letting the Ashikabi take center stage. Or at least, it had been designed that way, but letting others help had been a major blow to the validity of it. The inner arena, however, had been fitted with dozens of cameras. The wide open space had allowed MBI to catch the fight from multiple angles, showing it in all of its viciousness.

Takami might have wanted to encourage Ashikabi by showing their intelligence was as valuable as their Sekirei's abilities, but I suspected that Minaka's execution of her idea meant no one would take it that way.

I'd been working for a while when the sound of Miya's phone broke my concentration. I frowned as I looked at the clock. Yukari should've been here by now.

"Yes? Ah, Takami-san. No, he's here. How long? He's been in the kitchen for at least two hours — yes, I'll get him." Miya turned towards me. "Emiya-san, your mother wishes to speak to you."

Strange. Why hadn't she just called me directly? I wiped off my hands and went over to the phone. "Hello?"

"Shirou." Takami's voice was cold and tense. I frowned. Something was wrong. "I need you to come over to Yukari's apartment right away. She's been attacked."

* * *

Notes:

On the fourth match: The challenge with vial and the ball comes from Cardcaptor Sakura. Could also be used elsewhere, but that's where we pulled the idea.

Yahan and Reiji Koya are from the Sekirei PS2 game. We were thinking about making up a Sekirei with similar abilities, but then we checked the wiki and found out there was one already in existence, so we decided to use her instead. Since we haven't played the game, it's certainly possible we may have described her abilities incorrectly. If anyone can give specific areas there to improve on, let us know and we'll try to tweak it a bit.

The Amebane vs. Shiina fight is very similar to the one in the manga. We wanted to use Sekirei that were not used in IF and were fairly certain he hadn't been defeated yet. We tried to change it up a bit, but it is pretty similar. A big thank you goes out to FernandelDeLaFrance; without his help, it would have been even _worse_.

On feedback: We read and discuss between us all constructive criticism that we receive. While we may not agree with everything, we do give each of your comments serious consideration, especially those considering Sekirei characterization. In some cases, this leads us to revisit our sources and canons to double-check things and slightly alter them if we decide it's necessary, although we are not taking down and rewriting major portions of the story, nor are we altering our plot outline. However, it's helpful to be able to contact people regarding their feedback for clarification, among other things. To this end, we ask that you please have PMs enabled if you review with an account, or that you leave an email address if you're reviewing anonymously (just make sure to put some spaces in it and avoid use of the "at" symbol, like "this at here dot com," as FFN will strip the address from your review otherwise). Thank you!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Sekirei and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Sakurako Gokurakuin and her associates. Fate/stay night and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Type-Moon and its associates. The story "In Flight" is written by Gabriel Blessing. No financial gain is intended or made by this story.

* * *

"What?" I asked, feeling my heart rate spike. I had to be hearing her wrong.

"Yukari was attacked," Takami repeated. "She was going back to her apartment to change and grab a shower. I sent her home in a company car since Shiina was undergoing one last check up and she didn't want to be late. When she didn't come down after a half hour, her driver went to check on her."

"Is she okay?"

Takami hesitated. "She was hurt pretty badly, Shirou. There's a good chance she'll end up in a coma."

My hand went automatically to my chest; Avalon would be able to save my sister, especially if Saber stayed by her. But I had to get it to her without getting caught. "Where is she? I want to see her."

"So do I, but she's in surgery right now. Don't worry — MBI has the best medical teams in the world, so she's in good hands." Dammit. If she was in an MBI facility it'd be even harder to heal her with Avalon. "We can't do anything for Yukari right now, but you can come look at the scene."

"Why me?" I asked. "MBI has a private defense force, don't they?"

"We'll talk about that in person," Takami replied. "Yukari had her Jinki with her. It's missing."

I paused, thinking back over the conversation I had half overheard with Miya, slowly realizing what it had meant. "Takami…" I paused for a moment, not wanting to ask, but pressed on anyway. "Did you check with Miya to make sure I couldn't have been the one to attack Yukari?"

"I didn't want to, Shirou. I didn't want to, but I had to know." Takami's voice was cool, but there was a slight tremor hidden in it. "I don't know which side of you to believe in sometimes — the one who dotes on his sister or the one whose file I found. I didn't think you had, but I had to be sure." Her tone turned fierce. "Believe me, if it _had_ been you, I'd take care of you myself."

My breath caught a bit. Takami sounded deadly serious, but I shouldn't have been afraid of her. I had my magecraft, and I had my Sekirei, not to mention Rin and Saber, the latter having explicitly promised to protect me. Yet I couldn't help the feeling that if Takami thought I'd attempted to murder my sister she would've used all of the forces she could muster, and would invent some if necessary, to bring me to justice. The sheer power of her conviction was enough to make me pause.

It was strange that at moments like this I could find things in common with my mother.

"I understand. I probably would've done the same thing," I admitted. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

After hanging up I glanced around, trying to decide who to take with me. Akitsu, of course, was already nearby. Luckily, Kazehana was in the living room as well. "Matsu, let the others know what happened," I said aloud, knowing that she'd get the message through her cameras. "Miya, I'm sorry, but—"

"I will finish lunch, Emiya-san," Miya said gently. "Go."

I didn't need to be told twice. I motioned for Kazehana to follow as I quickly left the room, managing to evade the other residents of Izumo House. As we traveled over the city by rooftop, I quickly filled Kazehana and Akitsu in.

"Maybe we should have brought some of the others with us," Kazehana said, a slight frown on her face. "For someone to attack an Ashikabi, in her own home, no less…"

"Means they're not playing by the rules," I agreed. Akitsu didn't say anything, but her grip around my waist tightened.

We didn't speak any further until we arrived at the building where my sister had taken up residence after leaving Izumo House. I'd never been here, but Yukari had forwarded me her address after she'd moved, so I knew which room was hers. I quickly climbed the stairs, heading down the hall. I was surprised by the lack of MBI soldiers. In fact, I didn't notice any presence from MBI at all. I opened the door, noting the lock was damaged, as if it had been kicked open. Akitsu stayed close, ready to attack if necessary. Kazehana stood off a bit in the hallway, so she'd also have a clear shot.

"Shirou. Good, you made it."

I blinked. My mother was alone in the room, which seemed all but untouched except for some blood not far from the door. I swallowed, looking down at it, then returned my attention to my mother. "Takami. Where's everyone else?"

Takami looked uncomfortable. "You aren't here officially, so I don't have anyone from MBI here. You aren't exactly the company's favorite person right now. We already had a team go over the scene, but I thought you might be able to give me a different perspective." She paused, biting her lip, before she admitted with a sigh, "There's also some internal friction within MBI right now, so I'd appreciate anything you can tell me. I don't think they'd hold anything back, but…"

"You shouldn't be here alone," I protested, even while part of me wondered exactly what type of conflict was happening inside MBI. Was it between the executives or the people on the ground? While I knew that both civilians and members of MBI's private army had died in various Sekirei conflicts, I hadn't considered trouble coming from that angle.

"Everything we found indicates a Sekirei was responsible, and I can take care of them." Takami lightly tapped her leg with a long silver cylinder. I blinked, looking at it. "We would be poor scientists if we didn't know how to contain our experiments."

Not what I expected from Takami, but true nonetheless. MBI probably hadn't known what they were getting into when they started working on the Sekirei. Having precautions to subdue them by force would only be natural. "Still, it's dangerous to take on a Sekirei by yourself."

"I'm sure you would know all about that," my mother said dryly. "Haibane isn't far out. I thought about bringing Karasuba, but after seeing how things went the last time you met, I thought she'd distract you too much."

I nodded, then turned my focus on the room. I really didn't notice anything in particular other than the small amount of blood and the broken door. Most of my abilities lay in detecting magecraft-based attacks, not deciphering mundane assault. Still, if this had been done by a Sekirei…

I moved over to the door, trying to block what I was doing with my body. Akitsu moved between me and my mother, giving me the coverage I needed. I took a deep breath, focusing as hard as I could. There was only a very faint scent, rapidly fading even now — I was surprised I could detect it at all — of wood. Fresh wood, as if I'd walked into a lumber shop.

I left the door and walked around the room, looking for clues. There were manga scattered here or there, a blanket thrown haphazardly over the couch — the apartment was Western style — and a glass with water in it on an end table. Nothing looked particularly out of place. I turned to Takami. "I'm sorry. I don't think I can really tell you anything you probably don't already know."

Takami gave me a sharp look. "Anything will help, Shirou. Even just a guess."

"It looks to me like Yukari came home, but someone came in after her and attacked her from behind." I hesitated. "Maybe with a staff?" That was the only thing I could think of that would have a wood scent attached to it, if I discounted control over trees, but that was Kuu's ability. So far I hadn't met any Sekirei who duplicated another's capabilities.

Takami nodded."That's what MBI's team found as well. I'll check the records we have on the Sekirei and see if there are any that could have done this."

"Have the doctors said anything?" I asked.

"I was told she won't be having any visitors until tomorrow," Takami said. "MBI has a number of experimental medicines they'll be trying if she doesn't regain consciousness naturally."

"I… might be able to help her," I offered.

She eyed me cautiously. "If you explained what you did with the Jinki, I'd be more than happy to use one of those still in MBI's possession."

I forced myself not to wince. While my story had kept me from coming under scrutiny, it didn't help me now that Yukari needed help. I shook my head. "I can't, but if you let her come to Izumo House—"

"That's out of the question, Shirou." Takami shot me a sharp look, clearly not pleased that I wouldn't reveal my secrets. I couldn't exactly explain that I'd just come up with the excuse to cover up the existence of magecraft. "Yukari will stay in the hospital."

An MBI hospital, which meant the rooms would be under observation. I thought quickly, a plan forming in my mind. "Can I visit?"

"Of course. I'll call you once I know the details." Takami turned and headed towards the door, and Akitsu and I followed. Kazehana, who had decided to keep watch outside the apartment, fell into step with us as we moved down the hall. Part of my mind was making arrangements to help Yukari, but the rest of me was going over the scene again in my head. If I'd kept Yukari close to me I would've been able to protect her — but I really hadn't expected any trouble. With Higa out of the picture, the only other real contender for power within the Sekirei Plan besides myself was Mikogami, but he clearly wanted to play by the rules, and could've easily taken Yukari out yesterday during the match if he'd had it in for her.

So who had attacked Yukari?

* * *

Matsu closed the door to her room firmly, turning to face her fellow Sekirei. Shirou had come home half an hour ago, sharing what he had learned from his mother and his plan for helping Yukari. Saber had immediately taken him out to the yard to train. From what Matsu had seen that was probably the best thing she could've done. It was obvious that Shirou was having trouble focusing on anything, and hopefully expending his energy would give him a clearer head. Rin had settled out in the yard with them, a notebook in her hands, keeping an eye on the pair.

With the humans in the house thus occupied, Matsu had rounded up Shirou's other Sekirei and had convened their first Sekirei meeting. Having all seven of them crowded in her room made things tight, but this shouldn't take very long. "Okay. Matsu thought we needed to have a meeting to talk about how we're going to help Shirou-tan, because he's very bad at asking for it."

"Good idea," Homura agreed. "What did you have in mind?"

"The most important thing we have to do is protect Shirou-san!" Musubi said fiercely. "If someone is attacking Ashikabi, we need to be extra careful."

"You're right, Musubi," Tsukiumi agreed.

"Shirou-tan is stronger than Yukari-tan," Matsu reminded them, "but still. Akitsu-tan will do her best, Matsu is sure." The ice Sekirei nodded. It wasn't really a new assignment, but it did make Matsu think of something she needed to discuss with her, though it'd be better to do so alone. "Matsu will be working on research and on getting cover identities established for us, in case Shirou-tan decides we have to run."

"No matter who attacked Yukari, I think it's important we continue practicing," Homura said firmly. "We'll need to be ready and able to fight them in case they decide to come after Shirou."

"Shirou said that Avalon will work better with Saber's presence, though," Tsukiumi pointed out. "We should not remove her from that role unless there is dire need."

"We can run the practice ourselves," suggested Kazehana. "Homura and I could each direct a side."

"That's a good idea," Matsu agreed. "We don't know if this was caused by an enemy magus. If they know Yukari-tan is Shirou-tan's sister…"

"They could have done this to get to him," Kazehana concluded. "It's a stupid idea, but not impossible." Matsu nodded in agreement. She had a feeling Shirou's reaction to such a thing would be swift, brutal, and probably fatal for the instigator.

Tsukiumi shifted in her seat. "I shall take charge of the household," she announced.

Matsu blinked in surprise, but then smiled. That would be a good role for Tsukiumi. She had seemed off balance since Rin and Saber's arrival, but maybe she was finally finding her own place. Miya mostly ran things in Izumo House, but one way or another, it wasn't likely they were going to stay here forever. "We'll depend on Tsukiumi-tan, then."

"Um…" Musubi crossed her arms, thinking hard. "I know! Musubi will handle the errands!"

"You do always win the shopping races," Kazehana said with a smile.

"Kuu wants to help too!" the youngest Sekirei announced, waving her hands enthusiastically.

Matsu glanced around at the others in the room, but they seemed as stumped as she was. "Maybe Kuu-tan can draw pictures for Yukari-tan?"

"Kuu wants to help for _real_." She crossed her arms, pouting.

"I'm sure we'll think of something," Kazehana said, trying to soothe her. "Maybe in the kitchen?"

Tsukiumi looked uncertain, but nodded anyway. "And it is far past time that we have a meal." They'd delayed things to allow for Yukari and Shiina's arrival, and then Shirou had left to investigate the scene of the attack. It was getting into early evening by now, far past lunch time.

"Kuu will help!" Kuu stood and grabbed Tsukiumi's hand.

"Musubi will too!" the fighter said, smiling brightly. "I'll get the dishes for the table."

Matsu watched the trio file out, then caught Kazehana's and Homura's glances, nodding at Akitsu. Kazehana's brows furrowed briefly before her eyes lit up in comprehension. Homura still looked confused, but settled back into her seat instead of following Tsukiumi downstairs. "Akitsu-tan needs to be very careful with Shirou-tan," Matsu said.

Akitsu tilted her head in confusion. "Ah?"

"Because of what Odell did to him, we can't always trust his judgment," Kazehana elaborated. "You're with him the most, so you're the one who can best tell what's driving him."

"But that means Akitsu-tan can't always do everything Shirou-tan says just because he's our Ashikabi," Matsu warned.

"Like leaving him. Don't _ever_ leave him undefended, even if he tells you to," Homura added, probably recalling the fight they'd been in when Tsukiumi had been winged.

Akitsu frowned a little, thinking.

"It probably won't be a problem, but you need to be ready for it," Matsu coaxed her. Akitsu's obedience to Shirou had always been strong, first as a way to show she belonged to him, and later in gratitude for her winging. That didn't mean, however, that there weren't times it could be dangerous to their Ashikabi. Matsu herself had gone against Shirou's wishes, and while she regretted some of the side effects of her actions, she wasn't sorry she'd done it. Shirou might've thought he'd been helping them by keeping secrets, but the truth was he'd only been hurting them by keeping them at arm's length.

Nodding slightly to herself, Akitsu finally responded. "I will watch Ashikabi-sama," she said, and nothing more.

Matsu sighed. They'd have to hope it was enough. She rose. "Let's go downstairs and help with dinner."

"And head to bed early," Homura added. "I have the feeling tomorrow's gonna be a busy day."

* * *

Silvia Odell walked quickly down the streets of Shin Tokyo, her face an expressionless mask despite her emotions. The last two weeks had been extremely frustrating. She'd never expected the Tohsaka girl to win custody of Emiya's Sealing Designation. She was an Asian child with few connections in the Clock Tower, but somehow she had managed it, and now she and her strange familiar were searching for Odell's project. For all she knew they might have already made contact with him.

Separating Emiya from their influence had been critical for him to develop properly. How incredibly frustrating it had been to see him willing to throw people away one week, then stubbornly refusing to do so the next. It had been blatantly clear that their connection drew Emiya back into a more empathetic, human viewpoint, the last thing she wanted.

Odell hadn't caused Emiya's Sealing Designation, but she had been able to use it to her advantage. The Enforcers were almost completely ignored by the upper echelons of the Clock Tower. They took on some of the most difficult jobs the Association had to offer and were shown little thanks for it. Odell had made a point of cultivating relationships with as many of them as she could, making them feel valued, that their skills were appreciated, that they mattered. As a result, when her masterpiece was Sealed, she'd sent out a few careful messages to be passed from friend to friend among the Enforcers and their support networks. It was simple enough. She'd reward anyone who brought her observations on Emiya or worked to keep the Association from discovering his location.

The bribe had worked out wonderfully; Odell had had Emiya's location five months after he'd left the Clock Tower, and none of their elite had had a clue. She'd planned to let him stay in Shin Tokyo for a year or two, letting the Association's interest in him die down and her implanted suggestions mature, before carefully directing him towards some trouble so she could evaluate his progress.

Except the damned Tohsaka girl had somehow managed to pull off the impossible.

Odell wasn't a fool. Tohsaka was a prodigy from a strong family line. She had survived the Holy Grail War, something that had killed many magi far surpassing her in age and experience. In addition, she also had that humanoid familiar, the exact nature of which was unknown to Odell. Due to the name she supposed it could have been Tohsaka's Servant, but she wasn't sure that was even possible without the ritual providing support.

Odell, on the other hand, had little knowledge of combat-oriented magecraft. Within a person's mind she was almost invincible, but in the physical world it was another matter entirely. She had spent nearly fifty years perfecting her art, but she had never bothered to learn to defend herself beyond wards and traps. She simply wasn't made for direct combat, but had never let that trouble her. She had plenty of allies to handle such things for her, and when that wasn't an option, she could always hire a freelancer. She certainly had enough money.

But Emiya had had to hide in Asia, of all places. While it made perfect sense, considering his background, she didn't have much of a network there, and unfortunately the price the Einzberns still had on Emiya's head had made it harder to make good use of the connections she did have. Odell might've been wealthy, but she couldn't pay more than the Einzberns.

Still, she hadn't been completely broadsided. Once she'd gotten evidence that Emiya was in Shin Tokyo she had begun looking for possible allies to influence. She had only nailed down the address a month or so ago of the most promising option.

The Nakamura family was a moderately powerful family of Eastern magi. Their focus had been mostly on the nature of spirits, unsurprising considering they were related to some lineages of onmyoudou practitioners. However, three generations ago a Western magus had married into the family, beginning an exchange of cultural viewpoints.

Odell had first heard of them when Otoya Nakamura, the previous family head, had published a paper theorizing that all minds were connected to Akasha and that one could mentally travel there with sufficient discipline, as reaching Akasha was a form of enlightenment. Odell hadn't cared much about the theory itself — searching for Akasha was a waste of time, in her opinion — but she always made a point of keeping track of other magi in her field.

Nakamura had managed to fry his brain trying to prove his theory, leaving his son Tsuyoshi to be the new head of the family. And, luckily enough, he lived in Shin Tokyo. Odell was fairly certain she'd be able to tempt him to helping her by offering to teach him a few techniques. It was a ridiculous situation to even consider giving away her mysteries, but Emiya was more important. She would _not_ have her greatest work ruined.

Assuming Nakamura worked with both his family's traditional focus and the mental disciplines that had captivated his father, he might very well have defenses that would work against Tohsaka's familiar as well.

Odell hated that she had been reduced to approaching Nakamura like this, but she didn't have a lot of options. If she managed to get hold of Emiya she could activate the failsafe she'd planted in his mind, but that would require close contact — and likely permanently damage, if not outright destroy, his ability to work independently. She hadn't spent so much time cultivating him to be forced to lead him around like a mindless attack dog.

Finally reaching the Nakamura house, Odell quickly knocked on the door. A slender young woman opened it, scrutinizing her sharply. Odell returned the favor, looking her over. She appeared to be in her late teens, with blond hair so pale it was almost white. Her blue eyes narrowed. "May I inquire as to the reason for your visit, madam?"

"I corresponded with Mr. Nakamura's father," Odell said briskly. "I have some research that might interest him."

For a moment, Odell was worried that the girl was going to shut the door in her face. "Follow me," she finally said, her voice cool.

A few minutes later Odell saw Nakamura for the first time. He was young, perhaps in his early twenties. Dark-haired and dark-eyed, like most of the Asians she had seen, not showing his Western heritage at all. Another girl was kneeling on the floor in front of him, brown hair pooled around her bowed head as she wailed something in the local vernacular. Nakamura gestured at the young woman who had answered the door, and she nodded and gently took hold of the distraught brunette's shoulder, helping her up and leading her from the room.

"Why are you here?" Nakamura asked in passable English.

Odell hid her irritation at his brusqueness. "I believe we can help each other," she said simply. "I am aware of your father's research and have a great deal of experience in the field. I find myself in need of an ally to recover a piece of my research. If you are willing to help me, I will teach you several of my techniques."

Nakamura raised an eyebrow, clearly interested. "Who has taken your research?"

"Have you heard of a magus called Shirou Emiya?" Odell asked. She doubted he would have, considering he didn't have direct connection to the Association, but it didn't hurt to ask.

"Yes. He has been active in a local situation currently unfolding." Nakamura tilted his head to the side. "He has stolen your research?"

"No. He is the product of my research," Odell clarified. So, not even a year and Emiya had already made a name for himself here? It was unexpected, to say the least, but…

"Hmm. You should use more caution in your work, then; the fool used magecraft on camera." Nakamura's voice was disapproving. "Even if it was only reinforcement, it was still stupid of him to do so."

What? Odell frowned. "What could possibly have driven him to that?"

Nakamura paused, deep in thought. "You are clearly unaware of the situation here. Let me offer a different exchange. I will help you recapture him if you in turn help me contain two of his familiars. They have abilities I believe will be beneficial for furthering my father's research."

"Familiars?" Odell asked, her eyes narrowing. Emiya had _not_ had any familiars in London. The last thing he needed was more objects to distract him from his true purpose.

Nakamura gave her a slight smile. "Let me tell you of the Sekirei," he said, and summarized the details of the Sekirei Plan and a little of what he knew of the Sekirei's nature. Odell had to fight to keep a frown off of her face as she listened. Emiya had gotten not one or two Sekirei, but seven. As she carefully persuaded Nakamura to share much more information than he'd intended, she grew even more concerned about the nature of the Sekirei bond. Odell had no idea how their psychic bonds would affect him; her work was too delicate to allow outside forces to interfere, especially since she hadn't had a chance to reinforce it recently.

"Once Emiya revealed himself I had Wakumi investigate him. His imprudence aside, he has gathered many powerful players to him. He has connections to the upper echelons of MBI as well, not to mention a dangerous reputation. I had intended to sit out the Plan, even if his Sekirei interested me, but recent events have made that impossible," Nakamura finished. "If we are to attack Emiya, however, we'll need more power than what I have."

"I would prefer not to bring another magus into this," Odell said. She knew she had something to leverage Nakamura, but she couldn't guarantee that would be the case for others.

Nakamura nodded. "Of course. There are not many magi in Tokyo right now, but I would not want to share the Sekirei with them."

"Tsuyoshi-sama?"

Odell tensed, glancing to Nakamura's side. The young woman who had answered the door had simply appeared, as if from thin air. To Odell's now-focused senses, she didn't seem like a magus. In fact, her aura seemed to be somehow colored by Nakamura's power — perhaps one of these Sekirei familiars herself.

"Yes, Wakumi?" Nakamura turned to the blonde.

"I think I might know something that could work." Wakumi began to speak, explaining her plan, and Odell let herself smile slightly. Yes, this would work quite well indeed.

* * *

Tsukiumi glared at her hands in frustration. She must have seen Shirou make onigiri at least a dozen times since they had been married, but the rice refused to take the proper shape.

"Here." Tsukiumi started as Miya appeared beside her, washing her hands with salt water. "That will help it not stick to your skin."

"Thank you," Tsukiumi said, feeling her cheeks burn in shame. She tried again, finding the rice slightly more cooperative.

"Your efforts are better than mine. If I recall correctly, I managed to burn the rice for my first set of onigiri." Tsukiumi looked at Miya in surprise, and the landlady smiled. "I had quite a bit to learn when I first married."

Tsukiumi couldn't believe that. Miya was always calm, always in control. She was the picture of a perfect wife. There was no way she could ever have been as awkward and uncertain as Tsukiumi felt.

Once Tsukiumi had only worried about being the strongest. She had wanted to win the Sekirei Plan without an Ashikabi just to prove she could. Now she wasn't exactly sure what she wanted. While she had never intended to wed, Shirou had impressed her with both his bravery and his sincerity. Finding out she had to share her husband had not been pleasant, but with time, she had managed to accept the others, even if she still made token protests.

Rin and Saber's arrival had upset the balance of their relationships. At first Tsukiumi had been outraged that they would deny her the title of wife when she and Shirou had chosen each other freely. But as she watched them, Tsukiumi slowly realized how Rin and Saber were partners for Shirou. Rin helped out in the kitchen without protest from him. Saber worked with him to strengthen not only his skills, but those of Tsukiumi and her fellow Sekirei. All three exchanged thoughts and ideas effortlessly. It was obvious how they flowed together, working seamlessly toward their mutual goals.

Tsukiumi wanted that. She wanted to have a place — to have something she could do to help Shirou as they did. While she didn't doubt her own natural strength, Kazehana and Homura had taken the positions of battle leaders in their practice. Tsukiumi knew she could fight well, but she wasn't sure she wanted to command the others. Akitsu clearly had no desire to share her position as Shirou's bodyguard, and Matsu was Shirou's research assistant. Musubi didn't seem to care about her place, as long as she could love Shirou.

Tsukiumi, however, had floundered for a few days, trying to figure out what she could offer to Shirou. It was only after watching Miya in the kitchen making breakfast one day that she realized it. Miya was everything Tsukiumi wanted to be. She was beautiful, strong, a perfect wife. She could cook, clean, and manage a household with ease. It had been Miya who'd inspired Tsukiumi to ask Rin to teach her how to cook, so that she might be able to fill some of those roles for Shirou. (She had nearly died in embarrassment when her Ashikabi had offered to teach her. A husband did _not_ teach his wife how to complete her duties.)

"Now, when you're making a hole in the onigiri, be careful not to push too far. Yes, just like that." Miya smiled as Tsukiumi followed her instructions. "Go ahead and fill it."

"Can Kuu help too?"

Tsukiumi looked down at the younger Sekirei, feeling a stab of pity. Like herself, Kusano wanted to help Shirou, but no one knew how to let her do so. It was difficult, since she was so young.

"Of course you can," Miya said. She fetched a stepstool so Kuu could reach the counter more easily. The young girl struggled even more with shaping the rice than Tsukiumi had, but she didn't give up.

"Landlady-san, I was wondering. We were all talking about ways to help Shirou yesterday—"

"Kuu wants to help Oniichan too!" Kuu said fiercely, clutching the rice in her hands and ruining her work.

"Do you have any ideas?" Tsukiumi asked as she carefully covered the fillings in the onigiri she was working on.

"Hmmm, something special for Kuu-chan…" Miya looked thoughtful for a few moments, effortlessly making an onigiri of her own. "Yes, I believe I do. You know, we go through a lot of food. I've thought about raising Emiya-san's rent to cover it, but I think you can help, Kuu-chan." Kuu's eyes lit up. "I was thinking we could start a garden for fresh vegetables and maybe some fruit as well. Do you think you could take care of it?"

Kuu nodded enthusiastically. "Kuu will make the best vegetables ever!"

"Then we'll get some plants later today while the others are practicing," Miya said, smiling.

Tsukiumi felt herself smile as well. It was a good job for Kuu, not makeshift work, but something that really mattered. She wrapped the onigiri in nori and placed it on a plate. It didn't look nearly as neat as the ones Shirou had made, but she would only get better with practice.

* * *

I didn't sleep well Tuesday night, leaving me feeling run down Wednesday morning. I awoke alone, both Tsukiumi and Musubi, who'd decided to share their nights this week, having already left. I headed downstairs, trying to remember who was supposed to be making breakfast this morning, then blinked as I entered the kitchen, surprised to see Tsukiumi and Kuu with Miya. Our landlady had started breakfast, but Tsukiumi and Kuu were working on a row of onigiri. "Uh — what's going on?"

"Good morning, Oniichan!" said Kuu, smiling.

"Shirou!" Tsukiumi jumped a bit, surprised by my presence. She flushed. "We are making lunch."

"That's really not necessary," I told her.

"This way you can stay at the hospital without having to get food," Tsukiumi said sternly, looking away as she finished another rice ball. "We are also going to bring some with us so we can practice longer."

I frowned. "Saber is going to need to conserve her prana to heal Yukari. I don't think it's a good idea for her to practice with you today."

"Homura and Kazehana are going to direct the matches," Tsukiumi explained. "I believe they spoke to Saber about strategies last night."

"I… guess that'll work." I hadn't expected my flock to train on their own, but I wouldn't stop them. "If you really want to."

"Since Yukari was attacked, it is important that we be ready to help you," Tsukiumi said firmly.

"Tohsaka-san has agreed to cook dinner until Sahashi-san is released from the hospital. I will cover breakfast and lunch. Tsukiumi-chan and Kuu-chan will be helping us," Miya added.

"I'm not going to stop cooking," I said, somewhat defensively.

"Once Sahashi-san is better we'll go back to our regular rotation. Tsukiumi-chan pointed out that you will be very limited when it comes to time until then, however, and suggested you focus on your job when you are not at the hospital," Miya explained.

I had mixed feelings about that. I didn't like being denied my time in the kitchen, but until Yukari was released, I would need to spend as much time as I could at the hospital. While it was true that it was Saber who'd be supplying Avalon with power, I couldn't leave her there by herself. Having my girlfriend staying with my sister without me would raise all sorts of flags. Saber barely knew Yukari, which meant I needed to be there. In addition, it would free up time for me to investigate Yukari's attackers, if we managed to figure out a lead.

I decided to just be grateful and hope Yukari was healed quickly. "At least let me help right now, until breakfast starts," I said, moving next to Tsukiumi, who blushed slightly and made a face, but didn't say anything to dismiss me. I helped finish up the onigiri while Kuu talked about the garden she was planning to make with Miya's help. I encouraged her as much as I could. It was a good idea; not only would it give us fresh vegetables, but it would help keep Kuu busy, especially for the next few days. I didn't know how much time or energy Saber would have to work with her on swordwork.

After breakfast we left Miya and Izumo House behind, heading across the city to the address Takami had sent me that morning. Nearby I noticed Matsu becoming more and more tense as we finally saw the building. I caught her hand, squeezing it.

"Sorry, Shirou-tan," she apologized. "Matsu is just a little nervous."

I knew she had to be. MBI had never made a move to try and capture her again after she had sought sanctuary with Miya, but Matsu had been hunted. She would never forget that feeling. Still, she had agreed to come with me, into a company facility, to help me heal my sister. "I'm relying on you."

Matsu straightened, squaring her shoulders as we reached the doors. "Matsu won't let you down, Shirou-tan."

I dropped her hand as we entered the building, and I quickly spotted Takami, just inside the double glass doors. She looked over the group following me with concern. "Shirou, we don't have enough room for them all to stay."

"Most of us won't be here long," Homura promised. "Shirou, Saber, and Akitsu will be here the longest."

Takami's eyes flickered over the group, noting who was here — and more importantly, who wasn't. I spoke before she could ask. "Rin had work this morning. She offered to take off, but she just recently got her job." I cracked a brief smile. "Someone has to make money."

Takami's face softened a bit. "You know that if that's a problem I'll help, Shirou."

"I know." But I didn't want to depend on Takami. She might have been my mother, but I had been working to pay for my own expenses for a long time. "We're okay," I assured her. "Let's go see Yukari."

We headed down the hall and squeezed into Yukari's room. She lay pale and unmoving, a shadow of her usual energetic self, attached to various machines, her head carefully bandaged. Shiina sat in a chair next to the bed, holding his Ashikabi's hand. He looked up as we entered, depression obvious in his eyes. "Aniki. I— I couldn't protect her."

I headed to stand by his side. "Shiina — it wasn't your fault. You weren't there." I remembered those times I had failed myself, both real and from Odell's training, feeling that helplessness wash through me again. I took a deep breath, and with hard-won practice, pushed the feeling away. "She'll be all right."

Shiina looked at me, no hope in his eyes. "They don't think she's going to wake up, Aniki."

"She will," I promised. I glanced over at Homura. "Take him to get some food?"

"I can't leave her!" Shiina protested.

"The rest of us won't leave until you get back," I said reassuringly. "We'll all be here to protect Yukari." Akitsu shifted next to me, carrying my wrapped projected weapons. The movement caught Shiina's attention. He stared at the two packages for a moment before understanding dawned in his eyes.

"You won't do anyone any good if you faint from lack of food," Takami interjected, exasperation in her tone. Clearly she'd been trying to get Shiina to take a break for a while.

"Homura?" I asked.

Homura nodded and tugged Shiina from his chair, ushering him out of the room. As soon as he left, my flock bustled with activity. Tsukiumi placed the flowers Kuu had grown on a table while both Kuu and Musubi placed cards they'd made on the windowsill. Matsu took one of the other chairs in the room, the others settling around her. I noticed Matsu directing them with a few subtle hand gestures, making sure that they blocked her from the cameras she'd seen as we'd entered the room. Perfect.

Takami and I headed outside, as the sheer number of people made it impractical for us all to remain in Yukari's room. She explained a bit more about Yukari's prognosis. She had suffered a compound fracture of the skull; while the doctors weren't sure yet, they suspected there would be brain damage. At the moment, they hadn't yet been able to wake her. I told Takami I would let her know when I left the hospital, and promised to watch over Yukari while she took care of other things.

The relief on Takami's face was all I needed to see to know I had made the right decision. Clearly she was feeling torn between her job and her duties as a mother. Still, she had resources I didn't have. I didn't doubt that Takami was doing everything in her power to track down Yukari's attackers. For now, I could sit by my sister's side while Takami did the legwork.

Ten minutes after Takami left, Matsu nodded at me. She had successfully broken into the system and looped the cameras. I immediately removed Avalon from myself, trying to ignore the feeling of emptiness left behind in its absence, and pressed the legendary sheath against Yukari's chest. It sank into her, vanishing without a trace. I quickly resumed my former position, and Matsu's fingers flew across her tablet before she sat back, giving me a subtle nod. The loop had been disconnected.

"I hope Yukari-san will be better soon," Musubi said, beginning to pace in frustration. I could sympathize. I never did well when I was forced into situations where I couldn't do anything either.

"Though I do not know when, I am certain that all will be well," Saber murmured. I relaxed slightly at that. Saber knew Avalon better than even I did. Without cutting off all the other possible sources of power, I couldn't accurately tell if it was working, but Saber had had extensive practice with my own injuries. If she said it would happen, it would.

It took another twenty minutes for Shiina to return, after which all of my Sekirei except Akitsu headed back to Izumo House. I tried to keep my eyes open, but to be honest, this was even worse than when I had healed Chiho using Avalon. At least then I had needed to power it; here I was only sitting, keeping an eye on Saber and generally watching out for trouble. After last night, I was having a hard time staying awake. Shiina had already fallen asleep, lured into unconsciousness by a full stomach. I yawned.

"Rest, Shirou," Saber said softly. "Akitsu and I will keep watch for a time. Should anything happen, we will wake you."

I wanted to protest, but they both looked far more awake than I. I wouldn't be worth anything if I made mistakes while I was tired. I shifted on the hard hospital chair, gave up trying to get comfortable, and bowed my head, allowing myself to drift off.

I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep when the sound of Saber's voice woke me. I raised my head, blinking. "Takami? Did you find anything?"

"Yes." Takami moved closer to me and hand over her phone. "We managed to capture this shot from a security camera in the area around Yukari's apartment. The quality isn't very good, but it was enough to give us a place to start."

I looked at the phone's picture. The quality was pretty bad, but it was clear enough to make out a young woman with shoulder length brown hair, carrying a staff. I couldn't make out many more details. "I'll have to see if I can figure out what Sekirei she is—"

"No need." Takami gave me a briefly amused look, somehow managing to make me feel stupid. Of course MBI had their own database. "She's number sixty-eight, Kishie."

"Weapon user, obviously. Who's her Ashikabi?" I asked, running the name through my mind. It didn't ring any bells.

Takami's lips thinned. "That's where things get interesting. According to our records, Kishie was terminated around the beginning of the second phase. She never managed to find an Ashikabi."

That got everyone's attention, not just mine. Beside me, Akitsu shifted to face Takami. Saber looked concerned, leaning forward slightly. Even Shiina, who had woken before me, briefly turned his attention to my mother.

"Someone managed to revive a Sekirei?" I asked, frowning. That was a possibility that hadn't even crossed my mind, though with the different levels of termination, it might be possible for those who hadn't undergone a level five…

"No. From what I've been able to tell, her termination was faked." Takami looked frustrated.

"That— MBI has to have firewalls," I said flatly. I may not have known much about technology before coming to Shin Tokyo, but Matsu had been very thorough in her lessons. "That doesn't make sense."

"You're right. It's practically impossible to alter the Sekirei files from the outside the system." Takami retrieved her phone and returned it to her pocket. "Techs are working on it now, but looking at her file, it seems that someone inside the company altered the records and backdated them. Things were busy enough at that time that no one noticed."

"If one termination was faked…" I trailed off. I'd been depending on Matsu's information for a while. While I had considered that MBI might've planted or withheld some things, I had never doubted the termination list before. Suddenly I had dozens more possible enemies in my lap.

"Then there could have been more as well," Takami confirmed. "I'm going to have to check each file myself." She sighed.

My eyes narrowed. "Takami, what's the real opinion in MBI about what's going on?" She'd mentioned trouble within the company yesterday, but if someone was attacking Ashikabi, hiding Sekirei's existence, or targeting the Jinki, it was more serious than I'd realized.

Takami sighed again, glancing away. "The Plan has never been very popular with most of the people involved, but Minaka gave enough of a financial incentive to keep them quiet. It's become even less liked as it's been put into action, however," she said very softly. "There are people in my own department who've spoken out against it."

Takami was responsible for the collection of terminated Sekirei, so her department would be the one most likely to have the means to fake a termination easily. Not to mention they were the ones who'd adjusted the Sekirei in the first place. I wasn't sure how most of them felt towards the Sekirei, but I imagined they could very easily feel that their work was being wasted since the Sekirei were slowly being destroyed. And if any of them felt affection towards their charges, it was even more likely that they might try to hide some of them.

"What about the tracking chip on her?" I asked.

Takami raised an eyebrow. "I certainly couldn't tell you company secrets," she said dryly, "but I'd imagine MBI might have a policy that data collection would cease when a Sekirei was indicated to be terminated. That being said, it is quite possible that MBI would be able to reactivate data collection and use it to track down someone not playing by the rules."

Plausible deniability. "Well, if the company needs any help from an unaffiliated party…" I trailed off. Since they had the Discipline Squad it was unlikely they'd need me, but Kishie had hurt my sister. If I had the chance, I was going to be the one taking care of her.

"I'll keep it in mind." Takami stood. "I'll let you know if I find out anything else."

I nodded absentmindedly as she left. A rogue Sekirei, possibly in league with people inside MBI, working towards some unknown purpose. I didn't know what they were up to, but I fully intended to find out.

* * *

On Thursday Saber, Akitsu, and I returned to the hospital. I was pleased to note that Yukari's color was already looking better. Takami stopped by to fill me in on her progress, commenting that the doctors were shocked by the rapidity of her recovery. The look she gave me made it clear she knew I'd done _something_, but thankfully she didn't press me on the matter.

We left the hospital in the afternoon, which gave Saber and me the chance to supervise my flock's training, even if Saber sat out so she could conserve prana. I continued to be impressed by everyone's efforts. Kazehana, Tsukiumi, and Homura had managed to perfect the timing of various combination attacks in a little less than a week. Akitsu had missed sessions because she refused to leave my side, but she was able to partner with Tsukiumi eight times out of ten, though she had more trouble with Kazehana and Homura. Musubi's ability to evade attacks had increased dramatically as well.

Still, even with their improvements, my flock came home sore and tired, with more than a few bumps, bruises, and cuts. What awaited us made me blink in surprise. "Kuu… are you wearing a lab coat?"

Kuu struck a pose, a plastic stethoscope around her neck. "Nurse Kuu will patch everyone up!" she declared. "Sit down."

My eyes tracked Rin as Kuu fussed over Musubi, who willing put her arms out for bandaids. "Your idea?"

"Matsu mentioned that Kuu had been feeling left out, so I thought she might like to work on cleanup." Rin shrugged, her eyes taking on a bit of a faraway look, the one that meant she was pondering something. "I've been trying to see if she can actually use her powers to heal, but I haven't had any success yet."

"Rin, her power is over plants," I pointed out.

"Is it?" Rin asked. "I'm not so sure that's all there is to it. Shiina's supposed to be her opposite, and I'd have to call his ability a more general 'decay.' To me, that means Kuu might be able to grow other organic things, which could give her the ability to heal things like broken bones. I haven't figured it out one way or another yet." Her gaze went back to Kuu, who was fussing with a bandage. The fond look on her face made me smile. It seemed Kuu had managed to worm her way into Rin's heart.

"Where'd you get the lab coat, anyway?" I asked.

"It was in a corner of my closet. Someone left it there." Rin brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Are you busy right now?"

"Not unless I'm helping with dinner. Why?"

"We've been here long enough that I'll need to check in," Rin said. "I thought you might want to be there."

"Yeah." I hesitated. "Do you think we're going to have a problem?"

"Hmm, possibly," she said, her voice neutral. "I think I might be able to get some interesting information one way or another, though. Matsu already asked to sit in."

"Matsu has set things up in her room," the hacker put in, heading towards us from the kitchen. "Rin-tan already prepped dinner. We'll just need to heat it up."

We headed upstairs. Homura, Akitsu, and Kazehana decided to follow us as well, once they were cleared by 'Nurse Kuu.' Thankfully Musubi was enjoying humoring Kuu as her patient, keeping them both busy. I wouldn't want either of them sitting in on this conversation. Tsukiumi had hesitated, but finally decided to stay downstairs to take care of the dishes, only asking that she be informed of what was discussed.

Once in her room, Matsu fussed with a speaker before handing Rin a headset. "We'll be able to hear both ends of the conversation, but the mike is keyed to Rin-tan. It should help with background noise. Just in case, though, no one should talk."

"Especially anyone he could recognize," Rin added, giving me a sharp look. "Even if you hear things you don't like."

"I trust you," I said, settling down. Rin dialed her phone, the ringtone echoing in the quiet room.

"Hello?"

"Lord El-Melloi II," Rin greeted formally. "I promised to check in with you."

"Miss Tohsaka. It is good to hear from you." Lord El-Melloi II was Rin's sponsor at the Clock Tower. He had once been known as Waver Velvet, and was the only Master still living who had participated in the fourth Holy Grail War. There had been some tension between the pair when they'd first met — apparently El-Melloi II was an avid player of Japanese video games and had hoped they'd connect over that, but Rin had of course never touched one and wasn't the least bit interested — but their relationship had mellowed out a bit as time had gone on. I'd never had much direct contact with him myself, though he and Saber had developed a habit of occasionally meeting for a glass of wine. "Have you found Emiya yet?"

"We ran into a bit of a situation in Shin Tokyo," Rin said, neatly sidestepping the question. "We're going to have to stay here for a bit before looking elsewhere."

El-Melloi II was silent for a moment, then chuckled. "You found a Sekirei, didn't you?"

Everyone in the room froze. I felt my heart begin to race. This was my worst fear. "Sekirei?" Rin asked, affecting surprise. "I don't know what you're—"

"Please, Rin. Even the distance between Japan and Europe wouldn't stop us from noticing the kind of power that was thrown around there a few years ago. Exploding battleships tend to be conspicuous." The voice on the other end of the line was amused. I raised my eyebrows, surprised by the warmth in his tone. I knew El-Melloi II and Rin had become a bit better acquainted before I'd left London, but it seemed like they might've actually become friends in my absence — somewhat surprising, considering their prickly personalities.

"Well, if you know about them, why aren't they all in Clock Tower custody? For that matter, why had I never heard of them before?" Rin asked, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair, her expression grumpy.

"Sekirei were studied extensively several centuries ago when they were first discovered. There are a few books about them in our libraries here, but most don't bother with them. The topic is considered of little interest nowadays," El-Melloi II said. "The emergence of this most recent group is classified as a need-to-know subject. As far as why they're not Clock Tower projects… well, there's the official reason and the unofficial one, naturally."

Rin's answer was prompt. "I want both, of course."

"Hmm. At least since we're using a phone I can be pretty sure no one is listening in on this conversation," El-Melloi II said dryly, and I smiled a bit. Even now, the magi at the Clock Tower tended to prefer more old-fashioned forms of communication. "Officially, the Sekirei were deemed not worth the effort it would take to capture them. The records we have indicate that they have excellent powers of their own, but sustainability is an issue. Second and third generations showed only a fraction of their progenitor's power no matter who the parents were. Some increase in psychic abilities was noted, but no positive correlation to circuit quality or quantity."

I was a bit surprised about that, but then again, the people who'd been writing these reports had probably been traditional magi, meaning that they'd had proper circuits that hadn't gone through the 'abuse,' as Rin said, that mine had.

"I'm still having a hard time understanding why magi wouldn't want to investigate them, though," Rin said. "If nothing else, they make good bodyguards."

"And here we come to the unofficial reason. Back when it was first discovered that Sekirei had reappeared, a team went to try to retrieve them. It was an unmitigated disaster."

I sat up, looking interested. Yes, I suspected the original Discipline Squad would've been dangerous opponents, considering they'd included Miya, Karasuba, and Kazehana. Still, I knew full well that the Association would have sent an experienced team to capture them. One did not mess around lightly with alien forces.

Rin raised her eyebrows. "They were defeated?"

"Yes. More importantly, though, use of magecraft was caught on film. The cleanup operation was a bloody nightmare." El-Melloi II's voice was grim. "I'm not sure you're aware of how vast MBI's reach is. Even when they weren't as powerful as they are now, they had access to technology that baffled our cover-up teams. In a way, it served as a wakeup call to the Association. They've had a team of quality hackers on board since then, but even then those hackers were barely able to enter the system, and they've been unsuccessful getting through the protections MBI's developed since. It was decided that leaving the Sekirei in MBI's hands would carry less risk of detection than attempting to recover them."

"Hmm." Rin tapped a finger against a nearby table. "So there've been no other attempts by magi to get their hands on a Sekirei?"

"I heard a rumor that there was one family that hired someone to kidnap a few, but it didn't pan out." There came a sigh, and the sound of someone shifting in a chair. "Be _careful_, Rin. If they catch you using magecraft, we may not be able to do anything for you."

"I will," Rin promised. "It's just taking me a little time to convince them that allowing me to leave with my Sekirei would be a good idea. I'll make sure no one notices anything they shouldn't."

"Cameras are fairly easy to hide these days," El-Melloi II warned.

Rin glanced at Matsu. "Well, my Sekirei's abilities happen to lie in that area, so I'm sure she'll help me out with that." The hacker hid a smile. Apparently the idea of being Rin's Sekirei was amusing to her.

"Good. Oh, one more thing — I've been asked to pass on several offers to you—"

Rin made a face, but kept her obvious distaste out of her voice. "I won't be making any decisions until I've retrieved my research subject, naturally. Children aren't a priority at the moment."

Wait, what?

"I told them you'd say as much." El-Melloi II was clearly amused. "Good luck, Rin."

"What was he talking about, Rin?" I asked a second after she disconnected the call.

"Once you were gone, I started getting more marriage offers," Rin said nonchalantly, ducking her head while she removed the headset. "Some of them have been pushier about it than others."

Something stirred, hot and unpleasant, in my chest. "Marriage offers," I echoed.

Rin kept her voice even. "We've talked about the heir thing before—"

"Your future children aren't a bargaining chip!" I growled.

"I had to at least make a show of considering their offers!" she retorted. "I couldn't seem too attached to you, or they wouldn't have given me control over your Sealing Designation."

"But your _children_? Rin, that's too—"

She glared fiercely at me. "Don't you _dare_ say something like that's too much or you aren't worth it. You _are_ worth it, and dammit, I'm going to make you realize that even if it takes till we're old and gray!" Reddening, Rin glanced away, crossing her arms. Saber laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Besides, t-there's only one person I'd be interested in having children with," she muttered.

"Rin…" I swallowed hard, fighting down a blush myself. We'd discussed the topic in the abstract, specifically the fact that Rin planned on having a child sooner or later, but the emphasis had always been on later. I knew I was hardly the best candidate, considering I was essentially a first-generation magus, but that hadn't mattered to her.

"Rin-tan…" Matsu whispered. "That's so romantic!" She beamed. I glanced around the room, surprised to see soft smiles on Kazehana's and Akitsu's faces as well.

Homura, on the other hand, looked uncomfortable. "Can we talk instead about the fact that magi apparently know about us?"

"And that they've tried to get involved before," Kazehana added, her expression serious. "I'm sure we would have noticed, if it was anything like when Izumo House was attacked..."

Matsu was frowning thoughtfully. "There was an incident Karasuba and Mutsu-tan took care of that Matsu remembers the scientists being very interested in," she said slowly, "but they stopped talking about it around the same time the recorded footage of it disappeared." She smiled crookedly. "Matsu thought someone might have cracked the system and erased it, so Matsu made sure to work hard on strengthening encryption and firewalls after that."

"And so they haven't tried anything since." Rin shook her head. "Well. As far as the Association knowing about Sekirei, Homura, I would've been surprised if they hadn't already, since Matsu said seven other Sekirei ships landed here in the past. They probably think MBI's only using you as research subjects or maybe a defense group." She sighed. "Thankfully the Association doesn't pay a lot of attention to Japan. They clearly don't know that MBI's holding a battle royal. If they realized how many people have been witnesses…"

"It'd be a different story," I finished. Takami said that MBI spent a lot of time and money managing who knew about the Sekirei Plan. Thinking about it, I couldn't imagine how they managed to keep it controlled, knowing what I did now about cell phones and the internet.

"Maybe they say they're making a movie?" Matsu suggested.

"It's not really important what their cover story is," I told her, and turned to Rin. "If they think you have a Sekirei—"

"Matsu, you don't mind, do you?" Rin asked. "I pretty much figured we'd need an excuse to stay in Shin Tokyo."

"Not at all, Rin-tan." Matsu smirked. "Matsu will make sure her 'Ashikabi' learns all about hidden cameras and mics."

Rin made a face. "In any case, there was no way they weren't going to find out about the Sekirei eventually, one way or another. It's a lot safer if they think I have a Sekirei as opposed to you. The odds of them thinking I'm just using them as research are pretty high. Better to have the cover story planned." I nodded.

"If we Sekirei are classified as a need-to-know subject, why does he know about it?" Kazehana asked.

"El-Melloi II is better with technology than a number of people in the Tower," I put in. Of course, most of his experience came from video games, but that wasn't the point.

"And he's low enough on the totem pole that he _would_ get stuck dealing with a topic no one else would want," Rin added, leaning back in her chair. "Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if the Association had something going on here after all."

"What do you mean?" I asked sharply.

"Matsu, how large was MBI back when the first attack happened?"

"A few dozen people or so. Minaka, Takami, and Takehito were the ones doing most of the work," Matsu answered.

"They couldn't get into the computer files, so they probably had to get a hold of the workers, make them erase them, and then modify their memory afterwards," Rin summarized. "If they got their hands on Minaka, altering a few key pieces of his memory wouldn't be that difficult."

Silence reigned for a moment. "Rin, are you suggesting that the Magus Association is the cause of the Sekirei Plan?" Saber asked.

"I thought you just said that they couldn't know about what's going on!" said Homura.

"Not the specific idea, no," Rin admitted, "but we do know there are some people in the Tower who hate and/or distrust anything nonhuman. If they couldn't do it themselves, they could plant the seeds to have MBI do it for them. A conflict of interest between his natural ideas and a planted suggestion makes a lot more sense than spending tons of money on adjusting them just to _kill_ them." She folded her arms.

The idea had merit, in a way. Magi often used others to fight their battles for them — familiars, most commonly — and tended to plan long term. Still, I wasn't sold. "What about the Jinki?" I asked. "I think they're trying to decide proper owners for them."

"Owners who have helped their Sekirei kill a bunch of other Sekirei to get them," Rin pointed out. "Not exactly someone I'd want in charge of a bunch of devices that can cause mass genocide. It's just a theory. It doesn't matter, one way or another. We still have to deal with the fallout."

"How easy is mind alteration?" Matsu asked. "The way Rin-tan talked about it with Shirou-tan, Matsu thought it was more difficult."

"Magi use it pretty frequently to hide magecraft, but it's more effective on non-magi," I explained. "I'm just not very good at it."

"Shirou's specialized, but that's not all bad." Rin smiled at me.

"So, to summarize." Homura tapped off her fingers. "The Mage's Association knows about the existence of Sekirei, but they aren't spreading that information around, meaning magi aren't likely to get involved in the Sekirei Plan. One of them thinks Rin has a Sekirei of her own and will try and cover for her so she can stay in Shin Tokyo longer. The Mage's Association may or may not have encouraged Minaka to kill off the Sekirei to save them the trouble."

"Sounds about right," Matsu said.

Kazehana frowned. "The more I find out about magi, the less I like."

"None of this, however, is helping us find Yukari's attackers," Saber interjected. "Shirou, shall we patrol?"

"If you have the energy for it." It was a long shot, but it would be better than just sitting around and doing nothing. "Matsu, could you keep an eye on the satellites?" I asked.

"Matsu will call Shirou-tan if she spots number sixty-seven," the hacker promised. "Matsu will send pictures to everyone's phones now." Her hands flew over the keyboard.

Homura stood. "I'll go get the others. We can search a wider area that way."

"Okay," I said. "Let's go hunting."

* * *

Notes:

Waver apparently goes through quite a personality change after the fourth Holy Grail War. We hope how we wrote him here isn't too OOC for him. Our interpretation of his character is that even if he's gruff on the outside he's got a good heart hidden underneath and has worked hard with Rin to reunite her with Shirou.

MBI is an interesting company to consider. According to the Sekirei manga, they literally control the world in multiple fields, including economics, technology, and medical advancements. In the manga they show that they have nets to capture the Sekirei. We are expanding on that and assuming they have other implements as well, because only relying on nets for beings with the types of powers the Sekirei has seems foolish (and you don't generally get to be a world superpower by being incompetent).

As for the Mage's Association, we have a very hard time believing that with seven other ships (we know there were at least two that had survivors) they wouldn't have found out about the Sekirei, or at least that some magi would find out and that information might be later collected in someone's library. In the flashback to the past, the Sekirei are shown to reach out to humans in a positive, supportive manner (very unlike aliens as presented in Nasuverse). Add in the idea that the Ashikabi characteristic may be linked to magecraft potential (considering how IF describes the winging process), it seems fairly likely there would have been magus-Sekirei pairs before.

We also find it hard to believe that the Association wouldn't have heard about the battle for Kamikura Island, at least a bit. Destroying battleships with a single blow tends to be fairly noticeable, and there would likely be chatter about it in various military organizations. In fact, it might be to MBI's benefit for them to brag about their success to deter others. It wouldn't be impossible for Enforcers to have connections to other military groups and hear about it. Or some local magi might have noticed it. It seems unlikely the Tohsaka are the only Asian family that has connections to the Association.

However, the level of technology MBI has really does pose a huge threat to magecraft secrecy. It seems impossible that they wouldn't have cameras everywhere and backups of all their data. We know they have smart phones and satellites. The ability to take a picture or video and instantly post it to the internet — and once it's on there, forget trying to get it off — makes not getting caught really important. So we chose to have the Association know about the Sekirei but mostly ignoring them as they are not of significant value compared to the risk of discovery. (Mind, if they were aware of what was really going on that would be a different story, but Odell has been paying good money to keep news in Shirou's area quiet.)

Quick note about Mutsu and Karasuba defeating the magi: Since it was shortly after they were awakened, they really didn't know the capabilities of humans, even magi, and so they eventually passed it off as some form of technology. They figured it was a force from a rival company and since a second direct attempt was never made, they never figured out otherwise.

We're sure a lot of people have different interpretations on how the Association would react to the Sekirei, but this is how we chose to go with it.

A couple things about Steadfast outside the plot: Firstly, it's now September, which is a fairly busy month for us. As we're sure you've noticed, updates are likely to be more spaced out. Secondly, a few people asked us how long Steadfast was going to be. Our original estimation was between twelve and eighteen chapters, but since we've been writing longer chapters than we anticipated we think we'll probably be finished after about ten to twelve chapters, give or take.

**EDIT**: Thanks to GlaringEyes for pointing out a glaring error on our parts. Kishie was meant to be no. 68, not the scrapped number 67.


End file.
